DUDLEY, Mass. (2/26/2025) – The Nichols men's volleyball team continued their undefeated streak at home, taking down the Saints of Emmanuel College 3-1 (25-19, 25-19, 22-25, 25-20) at the Nichols College Athletic Center this evening.
With the win the Bison move on to 7-8 (1-0 CNE), while the Saints drop to 6-7 (1-1 GNAC)
The Bison turned in an efficient offensive performance, hitting .238 as a team.
Adam Vincent continued his dominant stretch with 17 kills while swinging at an impressive .371 clip.
Bradyn Pomainville added nine kills of his own, while multiple Bison chipped in six to keep the attack balanced and relentless.
Evan Sachs led the way from the service line with three aces, while
Matt Hand added two more to keep the pressure on. At the net,
Connor Snow and first-year Evan Jackson were a force defensively, each recording four block assists, with Snow adding a solo rejection. On the backline,
Cade Bernardi anchored the defense with a match-high 18 digs, while Sachs contributed 15 to round out a complete team performance.
The Bison came out firing, rattling off the first three points of the match behind an ace from Sachs and a kill from Pomainville. Emmanuel answered quickly, capitalizing on a few Nichols attack errors and knotting the score multiple times to keep the opening set tight. Late in the frame, however, Nichols found another gear. A 7–2 surge, sparked by a kill from Vincent and fueled by multiple swings from Pomainville. With momentum firmly on their side, Nichols held off any Saints push, and Pomainville sealed the 25–19 set victory with another emphatic kill.
The second set mirrored the first, opening with early back-and-forth action between the two sides. Riding the momentum from the opening frame, the Bison began to overwhelm the Saints offensively, finding production from all angles. Kills from Jackson, Vincent, and Snow fueled a dominant 10–2 run. Emmanuel attempted to respond with a quick three-point surge, capitalizing on a Nichols service error, but the Bison defense shut the door by forcing an attack error to halt the momentum. The Saints made one final push late, trimming the deficit with a five-point spurt, but the cushion Nichols built earlier proved too much to overcome. Bonville capped off the 25–19 win with a kill from Sachs, having the Bison comfortable going into the break.
The third set proved to be the tightest battle of the night, as the Saints fought to extend the match. The teams traded points early, with neither side able to create much separation. Kills from Jackson and Snow kept Nichols narrowly in front, but the margin remained slim throughout. Emmanuel used a pivotal 6–0 run to swing the momentum, claiming its first lead of the night at 16–15. The Bison answered back, as Sachs connected with Bernardi for a kill that sparked a brief rally and pushed Nichols ahead 20–19. However, the Saints had the final response, stringing together five crucial points down the stretch and finishing the set with a decisive kill to take it 25–22, forcing a fourth frame.
The fourth set opened with the teams trading points before Emmanuel used a small run to take a 7–4 lead. Nichols quickly answered, fueled by a service ace and strong blocking at the net from Snow and company to even the score and shift the momentum back to the Hill.
From there, the Bison found their rhythm offensively. Vincent and Sachs continued their connection in key moments, while timely blocks from Jackson and Pomainville helped create separation midway through the set. Emmanuel threatened with a late push, but Nichols remained composed down the stretch. Vincent put the finishing touches on the night with consecutive kills, sealing the 25–20 set win and the four-set victory for the Bison
The Bison hit the road for their next matchup as they travel to face VTSU Johnson in a Saturday doubleheader on February 28th. First serve is set for 1:00 PM at Carter Varsity Gym.
