DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols Men's Volleyball team took down No. 3 seeded SUNY Poly in the NEVC Championship Semifinals tonight, sweeping the Wildcats 3-0 (29-27, 25-17, 25-22) at the Neutral Site MacDonald Gymnasium at Endicott College. This marks the fourth year in a row that the Bison are headed to the NEVC Championship and third year in a row they had to go through SUNY Poly to do so.
With the victory, the Bison improved their record to 15-14 while the Wildcats ended their season 21-12.
Adam Vincent delivered a standout performance, leading all players with 17 kills while hitting an efficient .343.
Bryce Bonville added 12 kills of his own at a .250 clip, while
Austin Gavin (8 kills, .333) and
Bradyn Pomainville (7 kills, .583) provided strong support to fuel the Bison attack. Vincent and
Evan Sachs were also effective from the service line, each recording two aces, while Sachs orchestrated the offense with 47 assists. At the net,
Connor Snow anchored the defense with four blocks, with Gavin and Vincent contributing three and two, respectively. Defensively, Sachs led the way with 15 digs to secure a double-double, while Gavin added 13 and libero
Cade Bernardi chipped in nine.
The match opened with immediate energy from both sides. SUNY Poly struck first, landing the first kill of the game but the Bison immediately responded with a kill from Snow. The back and forth continued late into the frame with the Bison pushing forward off a five point surge, putting the Bison up 12-9 sparked from Bonville and continued by Vincent, Snow, and capped off with an ace from Sachs. The Wildcats went on a run of their own late in the set going up one over the Bison. From there both teams continued to trade points, with the Bison sitting uncomfortably behind by one. A block from Snow and Gavin and two final kills, both from Gavin sealed the first set 29-27.
Riding that momentum, the Bison took control early in the second set, establishing a rhythm offensively and limiting SUNY Poly's opportunities. Vincent continued to dominate from the outside, while Pomainville provided a spark with efficient finishing. Nichols opened up separation midway through the set with a multi-point run fueled by strong serving pressure and disciplined play at the net. The Bison defense also tightened, forcing the Wildcats into a -.053 hitting percentage in the frame, allowing Nichols to cruise to a 25-17 win and take a commanding 2-0 match lead.
In the third set, SUNY Poly made one final push, keeping the score tight through the early and middle portions of the frame. The teams exchanged points in a back-and-forth battle, but Nichols maintained composure behind steady play from Sachs and consistent production from Vincent and Gavin. With the score still within reach late, the Bison executed down the stretch, using a combination of timely kills and solid net play from Snow to create separation. Nichols closed out the set 25-22 to complete the sweep and advance to the championship match.
Nichols will look to carry this momentum into the NEVC Championship as they chase their fourth consecutive conference title.
