BOSTON, Mass. (2/6/24) – The No. 15 Nichols College men's volleyball team picked up its fifth consecutive win on the road at Emerson College on Tuesday night, winning in straight sets (25-18, 25-16, 25-17) by a 3-0 score at Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym.
The ranked Bison continue their dominant start to the season, improving to 11-1 (1-0 NEVC) overall with the victory. With the loss, the Lions drop to a 1-2 overall record.
The victory was an all-around strong offensive performance for Nichols with the Bison hitting .405 percent (43-11-79) from the floor. Graduate outside hitter
Jack Normandin and junior middle blocker
Dylan Knapp each contributed double-figure kills, with Normandin connecting for a match-high 12 kills and Knapp finishing close behind with 10 on the night. Two additional Bison mixed in match-high statistics, with senior setter
Nick Martin notching 26 assists and freshman libero
Cade Bernardi recording 11 digs.
The Bison enjoyed an early 6-2 lead in the first set with the help of three kills by freshman
Bradyn Pomainville but faced a challenge shortly thereafter as the Lions clawed back to trail 9-8. After the surge by the Lions, Nichols took care of business down the stretch by running up the score with a 9-2 run to lead 18-10, before claiming six of the final eight points to win the opening set 25-18.
Nichols and Emerson traded strikes to open the second set, and after scoring five unanswered points, the Bison took a 11-6 lead. Through the midway portion of the set, Emerson managed to regain some of the momentum but failed in bringing the Bison lead any lower than four points. With an 18-14 lead in hand, the Bison then found themselves at set point thanks to a 6-2 run behind kills from four different players, before the winning point was secured off an Emerson service error.
The Bison controlled the third set from the beginning, winning 25-17 to finish the match. Leading 7-4, Nichols used a key 6-2 run to distance themselves and lead the remainder of the set. Three different Bison recorded kills in the run, while
Tanner Soracco added a service ace. Throughout the final frame, the Bison played both sides of the ball, offensively hitting .462 while limiting the Lions to a .182 clip defensively.
Nichols will return to action on Thursday, February 8th when they head to Lasell University (5-4, 1-0 GNAC) for a non-conference matchup beginning at 7:00 PM.
