BOSTON, Mass. (1/27/24) – The Nichols College men's volleyball team remained perfect on the season following a pair of 3-0 sweeps over No. 13 SUNY-New Paltz (25-15, 25-16, 25-21) and Emmanuel College (25-19, 25-17, 25-18) on Saturday evening, kicking off the opening day of the inaugural Fenway Volleyball Classic.

With the wins, the Bison improve to 5-0 (1-0 NEVC) on the season. Respectively, SUNY-New Paltz dropped to 1-1, while Emmanuel fell to 1-2 overall.

Game #1 vs No. 13 Suny-New Paltz

The win marked the first in the career of head coach Andre Foster, who took over the program back on January 18^th. Graduate outside hitter Jack Normandin hit .700 after racking up 14 kills on 20 attempts to lead the way for the Bison, additionally contributing a pair of digs. Senior Tanner Soracco also had a standout performance at the net, going 9-of-11 at the net for a .727 hitting percentage. Soracco matched Carlos Mercado with a match-high six digs, while Mercado set up the plays with a 29-assist performance. At the net, Nichols went 37-for-63 to finish the match with a .429 team hitting percentage.

The Bison snagged the first two points of the evening thanks to a Normandin kill and Mercado service ace, but the visitors followed with a point of their own to kickstart a back-and-forth opening to the match. Nichols wouldn't pull away with the score until late in the frame when four New Paltz attack errors fueled a 6-0 run for the Bison, which in turn gave them a 20-13 edge. Nichols then closed out the set outscoring the Hawks 5-2, earning a 25-15 win to open the day.

The Bison got off to a hot start in the second set as they opened with a 5-1 lead with the help of two kills apiece from Normandin and freshman Bradyn Pomainville. Despite the Hawks regaining some lost ground, a 6-2 run by the Bison helped turn a 10-10 tie into a 16-12 lead. Nichols then denied the Hawks any type of comeback, and later put the set on ice with a 7-1 run for a 25-16 win.

In a back-and-forth final frame, both sides rallied and tied the game 10 times before New Paltz secured five straight points to take a 17-13 lead. However, the Bison caught back up to draw even with the Hawks, as Soracco found the floor with a kill to tie the set at 21-21. The kill proved to be the final spark the Bison needed, as they completed the sweep over the ranked Hawks with a 5-0 run to win the final set 25-21.

Game #2 vs Emmanuel College

Junior Dylan Knapp hit for double-figures to lead the Bison attack in game two, securing a season-high 11 kills on 14 attempts for a .786 hitting percentage, along with three block assists. Carlos Mercado, for the second time on the day, led the team with a match-high 26 helpers. As a team, Nichols hit .316 (37-of-79) against the Saints.

Four Emmanuel errors and a pair of Nick Martin service aces helped the Bison claim a quick 9-4 lead to open the match. Both teams then went point-for-point with each other through the midway portion of the set, before the Saints utilized a 7-3 run to pull within two points of the Bison at 20-18. With the Saints at their heels, the Bison regrouped and claimed the set by scoring five of the final six points.

Both teams showcased resiliency early in the second set, as each had to battle from behind to keep the score close. However, the biggest turning point for Nichols came with a 15-14 lead in hand, when back-to-back Bison kills were followed by consecutive Soracco service ace to make it a 19-14 contest. In similar fashion to the first frame, the Bison then went on to claim six of the final seven points scored, bringing the match score to 2-0 with the victory.

In the final set, the Bison defense played the biggest role as they limited the Saints to no more than two points at a time. In tandem with a 5-1 run halfway through, the Bison went on to claim the third set by a 25-18 final, finalizing their second sweep of the day.

The next action for the Bison comes on Sunday, January 28^th when they are scheduled to face Baruch College (1-4) and No. 1 Wentworth Institute of Technology (4-0) for day two of the Fenway Volleyball Classic. Game times are set for 2:00 and 4:00 PM from Tansey Gymnasium.