JOHNSON, VT – The Nichols men's volleyball team extended its winning streak to five this Saturday afternoon, sweeping Vermont State University Johnson in a doubleheader at Carter Gymnasium. The Bison captured the opening match in conference play with a dominant 3–0 victory (25-18, 25-14, 25-13) before completing the day with another straight-set win in non-conference action (25-15, 25-22, 25-21) over the Badgers.

With the win, the Bison move to 9–8 overall (2–0 NEVC), while the Badgers drop to 3–11 (0–2 NEVC).

Match #1 Conference Matchup

The Bison were paced offensively by sophomore Connor Snow, who recorded eight kills on 14 swings with just one error, hitting an impressive .500 on the afternoon. Juniors Bryce Bonville and Bradyn Pomainville each added six kills in support, with Bonville attacking at a stellar .600 clip while Pomainville finished at .250. Bonville also controlled the service line with four aces, followed by three from Pomainville and two from junior Evan Sachs. Sachs orchestrated the  offense with 25 assists, while Cade Bernardi anchored the back row with a team-high 11 digs.

The match opened with the Bison striking first, as Bradyn Pomainville delivered the opening kill, followed quickly by another from first-year Emmet Jackson. The Badgers answered by capitalizing on a few early Nichols errors to take their first lead of the set. Nichols responded with a 7–3 run to create separation, but Vermont State Johnson countered with three straight kills to even the score at 9–9. The back-and-forth battle continued deep into the frame, with the Bison holding a slim 19–17 edge after another kill from Pomainville. After the Badgers cut it to one with a kill of their own, Nichols elevated its intensity, closing the set on a decisive 5–0 surge to secure the opener, 25–18.

The Bison continued their momentum into the second set quickly breaking out to a demanding 11-4 lead. Kills from Vincent, Sachs and Snow continued the surge with the Bison eventually gaining a 10 point lead late in the frame of 21-11. The Bison quickly wrapped up the set with kill from Vincent, securing a 25-14 lead, preparing for the sweep.

The final match mirrored the second with the Bison quickly breaking out to a 10-5  highlighted by kills from Pomainville and Sachs to keep the surge going. VTSU Johnson landed a few kills to cut the lead to 3, but the Bison just continued pushing, moving the lead to 8 off an ace from Matt Hand. The match ended with a 7-2 run by Nichols, closing the match 25-13 completing the sweep.

Match #2 Non Conference Matchup

The Bison were paced offensively by junior Bryce Bonville, who led the way with eight kills, junior Reece Baker and sophomore Austin Gavin added seven in support giving Nichols a balanced attack throughout the match. From the service line lone senior KG Bennett and Matt Hand both delivered a pair of aces. Hand orchestrated the offense with a career high 31 assists while Gavin anchored the back row with a team high nine digs followed by junior Connor DeSousa with seven.

Nichols carried its momentum into the set, jumping out to an early 13–6 lead behind a pair of service aces from Bennett. The Bison continued to apply pressure, using a 5–0 run to extend the advantage to 20–10, highlighted by kills from Gavin and Baker along with an ace from Bonville.The Badgers managed a brief response capitalizing on a couple of Nichols errors, but the cushion was too much to overcome. The Bison closed out the set, 25–15, with the final point coming off a kill from Baker.

The second set unfolded as a tightly contested battle, with both teams trading points early. Hand opened the scoring with a service ace, and kills from Bonville and Baker helped Nichols keep pace as neither side gained much separation.The Bison found brief momentum midway through the frame, highlighted by a Bonville block and a Baker service ace to edge ahead. Gavin and Snow added key kills down the stretch, while Hand continued to orchestrate the offense.With the score still within reach late, Nichols stayed composed, capitalizing on a service error to seal the set, 25–22, and take a 2–0 lead in the match.

The third set opened with Nichols taking an early edge, capitalizing on Badger errors while receiving kills from Baker, Snow, and Bonville to stay in front. The Bison created separation midway through the frame, sparked by a service ace from Hand and steady offense at the net. Bennett and Bonville added timely swings, while Baker continued to be a reliable option in transition to push the lead to 19–12. Vermont State Johnson attempted to rally late behind a pair of service aces, trimming the deficit, but Nichols remained composed. After trading points down the stretch, the Bison sealed the set, 25–21, finishing off the sweep.

Nichols will remain on the road for its next matchup, traveling to Potsdam, N.Y., to face conference opponent the Bears of SUNY Potsdam on Saturday, March 7 at 12:00 PM inside the Jean Yawkey Center.