DUDLEY, Mass. (3/1/24) – The No. 11 Nichols College men's volleyball program posted its first home win of the season with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-20, 25-17) victory over in-conference foe Eastern Nazarene College on Friday night at the Nichols Athletic Center.

With the win at home, Nichols improves to a 16-3 (3-0 NEVC) overall record while Eastern Nazarene drops to 9-5 (0-1 NEVC) with the loss.

Junior middle blocker Dylan Knapp showcased a two-way game for the Bison with six kills on 10 total attempts, which clocked him in at a .500 (6-1-10) hitting percentage, along with a match high seven blocks. Graduate outside hitter Jack Normandin and senior right-side Tanner Soracco tied each other for the team-lead in kills with seven apiece, with Normandin also adding a match-high five digs. Fellow graduate Carlos Mercado set the plays up with his own match-high 23 assists. Six different Bison tallied kills, with the team finishing the night with a .364 hitting percentage. 

In the opening stanza, the Bison led 5-1 following four quick errors by Eastern Nazarene and extended their lead to 17-6 after outscoring Lions 10-2 down the stretch, including five unanswered. In the end, Nichols ran away with the score as a final service error by the Lions gave the Bison the win in the first set, 25-13, and the early 1-0 edge in the match.

The Bison came out in the second set hungry for more, earning an 11-3 lead with kills from Soracco, and first year hitters Bryce Bonville and Bradyn Pomainville.  Eastern Nazarene battled back to trail the Bison 17-13, but three consecutive errors by the Lions helped put the home team up by five, 20-15. To close out the frame, a Knapp kill was followed by another trio of Lion miscues, resulting in a 25-20 win for Nichols.

Eastern Nazarene appeared to hold all the cards early in the third, but the Bison quickly called their bluff and erased a 7-3 deficit to lead the Lions 15-8 thanks to a 12-1 run. The lead then remained with the Bison the rest of the way as the hosts rattled-off another four unanswered points, including a Mercado service ace, to double-up their lead to 21-11. Nichols officially completed the sweep shortly thereafter, with Knapp slamming home the winning kill.

Nichols has a quick turnaround and remains home as they welcome another ranked opponent to the Nichols Athletic Center in No. 4 Springfield College on Saturday, March 2nd. Opening serve is slated for a 2:00 PM start.