STEVENSON, MD. – The Nichols men's volleyball team wrapped up play at the Stevenson Mustang Classic on Saturday afternoon, splitting a pair of matches at Owings Mills Gymnasium. The Bison earned a thrilling five-set victory over Mount Union, 3–2 (25–22, 25–21, 23–25, 19–25, 16–14), before falling to No. 8 Southern Virginia University in straight sets, 0–3 (22–25, 15–25, 14–25).

With the split on the day the Bison move to 4-8 on the season (0-0 CNE).

Match #1 vs University of Mount Union (6-8, 0-0 MCVL)

Bradyn Pomainville and Adam Vincent delivered standout performances for the Bison, finishing with 14 kills apiece to lead the offense. Connor Snow added nine kills while hitting .208 and made a strong impact at the net with a team-high three solo blocks, while Austin Gavin contributed two solo blocks of his own. Vincent also led Nichols from the service line with three aces, as several other Bison added one each. Evan Sachs continued to orchestrate the offense, dishing out 39 assists—his second-highest total of the season—while Vincent and Bernardi anchored the back row with 14 and 11 digs, respectively.

The match opened with both teams trading points before the Bison created separation midway through the set. Nichols used a 4–0 run, highlighted by a kill from Bradyn Pomainville, to take a 15–9 advantage. Mount Union answered with a run of its own to cut the deficit to one, but the Bison held firm down the stretch and secured the opening set behind a service ace from first-year Matt Hand 25-22.

The second set followed a similar script, as Nichols carried its momentum into an early lead. Timely kills from Austin Gavin and Adam Vincent helped maintain the advantage while Mount Union attempted to rally. After a kill from Evan Sachs, the Bison surged with a decisive 5–0 run to create clear separation. The Raiders managed a late push, but Nichols remained in control, and a kill from Connor Snow sealed the 25–21 set victory.


The third set was tightly contested from the opening serve, with both teams trading points and neither side able to build significant separation early. Nichols found rhythm behind a dominant stretch from Bradyn Pomainville, who recorded four kills during a key run to give the Bison a 7–3 advantage. Mount Union steadily chipped away at the deficit, capitalizing on attack errors and timely swings to even the score midway through the frame. With the score tied at 23–23, the Raiders capitalized on consecutive points to edge ahead and Mount Union secured the 23–25 win to force a fourth set.

Nichols came out strong in the fourth set, taking an early 3–0 lead behind a service ace from Adam Vincent and a block from Austin Gavin and Emmett Jackson. The Bison began to lose control through the middle of the frame as they began to drop to an 11-16 deficit. Mount Union capitalized on service pressure and attack errors to swing momentum in its favor. Despite late points from Nichols, the Raiders continued to apply pressure and closed out the set, 25–19, to even the match and force a fifth and final set.

With the match on the line, Nichols came out firing in the decisive fifth set, scoring the first six points to take early control. Mount Union responded with a steady push to cut into the deficit, but the Bison answered with three quick points, highlighted by kills from Bradyn Pomainville and Connor Snow, to extend their lead to five. The Raiders continued to battle back and eventually evened the score at 13–13, threatening to complete the comeback. Nichols remained composed under pressure, and Adam Vincent delivered the decisive kill to seal the 16–14 set victory and secure the five-set thriller for the Bison.

Match #2 at #8 Southern Virginia University  (7-0, 0-0 UVC)

Bradyn Pomainville led the Bison offense with seven kills, while Reece Baker added five and Austin Gavin contributed three. From the service line, Evan Sachs and Matt Hand each recorded two aces, with Connor Snow adding another to apply pressure on Southern Virginia. At the net, Gavin and Snow paced Nichols with two blocks apiece, while Sachs added one of his own. Sachs also directed the offense with 15 assists, while defensively Pomainville and Cade Bernardi anchored the back row with five digs each, and Hand chipped in three to support the effort.

The first set proved to be the most competitive, with the Bison battling for points against the No.8 ranked team in the nation. The match stayed close early in the frame with Nichols holding a strong grasp on a small lead over the Knights 10-9. Timely kills from Pomainville and back to back aces from Sachs made the future for the Bison seem bright as they held a 20-18 lead. In a flash, Southern Virginia went on a 7-2 run to close out the set 25-22.

Southern Virginia carried its momentum into the second set, establishing an early lead behind strong play at the net. Nichols answered with kills from Bradyn Pomainville, Reece Baker, and Connor Snow to stay within reach, while Evan Sachs continued to facilitate the offense. The Bison tried to capitalize on attack errors and finding points through their outside hitters to close the gap. However, the Knights responded with another late run, using service pressure and efficient swings to extend their advantage. Despite Nichols continuing to fight for points late in the set, Southern Virginia maintained control and secured the 25–15 victory to take a two-set lead.

Southern Virginia continued its momentum into the final set, breaking out to a commanding 15–8 lead behind a strong offensive run. The Bison responded with points from Austin Gavin and looked to capitalize on Knights attack errors to cut into the deficit, but Southern Virginia quickly answered with another surge to maintain control. The Knights remained in command down the stretch, closing out the set, 25–14, to complete the sweep.

 The Bison will continue their roadplay at Emerson College this Thursday, February 19th at the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym. Start time is set for 7:00 PM.