DUDLEY, Mass. (4/2/2025) – The Nichols College men's volleyball team delivered a dominant Senior Night performance on Wednesday, sweeping American International College (AIC) in straight sets (25-12, 25-21, 25-20) to close out the 2025 regular season.

The Bison now own a 17-14 (6-0 NEVC) record, while the Division II Yellowjackets drop to 4-17 (0-4 ECC).

It was a perfect night for the Bison seniors to shine, with middle blocker Dylan Knapp leading the charge with 13 kills on .458 hitting, alongside five blocks, two digs and two service aces. Senior right side hitter Conor McCabe registered eight kills of his own, which paired nicely with a pair of blocks. Graduate student outside hitter Jack Normandin led the team in two categories, with 10 digs and three service aces, while classmate Chandler Olson combined for 33 assists with sophomore Evan Sachs. As a team, the Bison hit .342 in the match, while limiting AIC to a .039 clip. 

The Bison came out firing in the opening set, hitting an impressive .563 with 10 kills. A balanced attack combined with several AIC errors helped Nichols gain a comfortable 15-8 advantage, which eventually grew to a 22-10 score following two Knapp kills. Following two Yellowjacket points, the Bison closed out the set on a 3-0 run, landing the winning point on a Knapp service ace.  

The second set saw AIC take control early, but the Bison quickly responded with a 4-0 run to flip the lead back in their favor, 11-8, fueled by three consecutive Yellowjacket attack errors. This proved to be enough for Nichols to remain in front, as their lead grew to as many as five points down the stretch at 23-18, before a McCabe kill brought the action to set point. AIC put Nichols on notice late, scoring three straight points to cut the lead down to 24-21, but Tanner Soracco stepped in for the winning kill before any more damage could be dealt, sending the Bison to the third set leading 2-0.

AIC stole some of the Bison momentum in the third, storming back from a 10-4 deficit to tie the score at 16-16 late. However, Nichols countered with a 3-0 run to pull ahead 19-16, before scoring six of the final 10 points to win the set 25-20, completing the sweep.

Men's volleyball owns the top seed in the upcoming New England Volleyball Conference (NEVC) Tournament, and will receive a bye through the first round of play before hosting the two semifinal games on Saturday, April 12^th at the Nichols Athletic Center. Times for the two matches are 4:00 and 7:00 PM, with opponents yet to be determined.