HOBOKEN, N.J. (4/15/2025) - The Nichols College men's volleyball team has earned an automatic berth into its second straight NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Tournament, which begins with a play-in match against Randolph-Macon College on Thursday, April 17
th at host No. 4 Stevens Institute of Technology.
It will be the first ever meeting between the Bison and the Yellow Jackets, with match start set for 6:30 PM at Canavan Arena. The winner of the play-in will advance to the NCAA First Round to face the host Ducks (25-4, 8-0 MAC), with that winner then moving on to play No. 5 Juniata (29-4, 6-1 CVC) or No. 12 Wentworth (26-6, 13-1 GNAC) in the pod finale.
The Bison earned their third consecutive New England Volleyball Conference championship title in 2025, with wins over SUNY Poly and Endicott College after receiving a bye through the quarterfinal round. The Bison enter the tournament with a 19-14 overall record, which included a perfect 6-0 mark in conference competition. The Yellow Jackets, members of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, enter Thursday's play-in round with a 22-9 overall record, along with their own undefeated mark of 12-0 in conference play.
The Bison, as a team, have combined for 1,288 kills on a .238 season clip, with several notable players leading them into Thursday's match against the Yellow Jackets. Up front is graduate student outside hitter
Jack Normandin, who currently ranks as the team leader in kills (295), kills per set (2.98) and service aces (42) as a captain. Classmate right-side hitter
Tanner Soracco files in right behind Normandin in kills (273) and kills per set (2.68), while leading the team's defense with 203 total digs, a single-season career-best mark for the fellow Bison captain. Senior middle blocker
Dylan Knapp enters the match as one of Nichols' top starting hitters with a .329 clip on the season alongside 234 kills, 26 aces and a program record 84 blocks on the season.
All three players were tabbed as All-NEVC First Team selections, with Normandin also claiming the NEVC Tournament Most Valuable Player award following the championship victory.
Randolph-Macon brings with them their first ever ODAC Championship title, where they defeated Roanoke College in straight sets, 3-0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-17) on April 12
th. Junior outside hitter Ian Wagenhauser leads the RMC attack as the team leader in both kills (317) and service aces (50), with his 0.54 aces per set ranking 16
th amongst individual NCAA DIII players. Also in the mix is junior middle blocker Phillip Van Essendelft, who leads the team and ranks 15
th in hitting percentage (.410), as well as 188 kills, and 67 blocks at the net.
Both Wagenhauser and Van Essendelft were All-ODAC First Team honorees, while fourth-season head coach Christian Taylor was named the ODAC Coach of the Year.
Both teams have also showcased strength at the net, with the Yellow Jackets averaging 1.99 blocks per set, and the Bison averaging 1.98 this season.
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Tickets
Tickets will also be available on-site in the main lobby of Canavan Arena one hour before the match.
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