BOSTON, MA - The #8 Vassar College Men's Volleyball team earned a hard-fought four-set 25-12, 29-27, 21-25, 25-22 victory over #10 Nichols on Friday evening in the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Championship on the campus of the Wentworth Institute of Techonology. The Brewers improve to 24-7 overall and will take on the winner of #3 Wentworth and Lancaster Bible at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow in the NCAA Quarterfinals.

FIRST SET

• Vassar took an early 5-0 lead, led by a kill each from junior Billy Fan and senior Colin Jones along with an ace from junior Payne Lounsbery to force a Nichols timeout.
• The Brewers lead expanded to 13-6 following a kill each from Lounsbery and seniors Vaughn Ramsey and Jacob Kim.
• Nichols cut the lead down to five at 13-8 on a kill from Dylan Knapp before Vassar answered with two kills and three straight aces from Fan to expand the lead to 21-10 and force a Bison timeout.
• One more ace from Fan and winners from Jones and Ramsey clinched the opening set 25-12 victory.
• The Brewers hit a blistering .579 in the first set and held Nichols to a -.053 hitting percentage.

SECOND SET

• The Brewers rattled off six quick points to open the second set as senior AJ Erickson landed three service aces along with a winner from Jones and a block from Jones and Kim.
• Three kills from Jack Normandin along with a winner from Tanner Soracco cut the Vassar lead to 7-5.
• Nick Martin's ace brought the Bison within one until Vassar scored four of the next five, led by a kill from Ramsey and a winner and ace from Kim.
• Two kills from Normandin, a kill from Carlos Mercado and an ace from Soracco cut the lead to 20-19, forcing a Vassar timeout.
• Nichols drew even at 24 on a kill each from Normandin and Soracco, leading to the second VC timeout.
• After a back-and-forth ending to the second set, Vassar used a Nichols attack error and a winner from junior Gavin Akoto.

THIRD SET

• The Bison earned a 7-2 lead to begin the third set as two kills from Soracco along with a winner each from Normandin and Bryce Bonville lead to a VC timeout.
• The Brewers cut the lead to 11-6 after two kills from Ramsey before Nichols answered with two kills from Normandin and a Soracco winner to push the lead to 15-8.
• Nichols lead expanded to 17-10 as Normandin buried another winner before Vassar countered with kills from Ramsey and Fan and an ace from Kim to trim the lead to 17-14.
• Dylan Knapp's kill clinch the third set victory for the Bison.

FOURTH SET

• Vassar put together a 6-3 lead in the fourth as Jones buried three winners along with a kill from Kim.
• Nichols rattled off four straight points to take a 7-6 lead and force a Vassar timeout as Knapp buried two kills and Normandin landed another winner.
• Vassar regained the lead at 13-11 on a winner from Kim and Akoto's kill put Vassar ahead 15-13.
• Lounsbery's two kills pushed the Brewers advantage to 19-16 until Nichols countered with three straight points to tie it at 19 all.
• Akoto buried the final two kills for Vassar as the Brewers earned the fourth set victory and advance to tomorrow's quarterfinal match.

FOR THE BREWERS

• Ramsey tallied 12 kills (.550) along with Kim burying 13 winners, 21 assists, two aces, three digs and three blocks.
• Jones recorded 12 winners, three blocks and four digs while Akoto added nine kills and a block.
• Fan finished with four kills, five aces, three blocks and two digs while Erickson handed out a team-high 28 assists and landed three aces.
• First year Tucker Shearn lifted a team-high eight digs and Lounsbery tallied four kills, an ace and six digs.

FOR THE BISON

• Normandin buried a match-high 26 kills and added six digs while Soracco finished with 15 kills and three aces.
• Knapp added six kills and two blocks along with Mercado handing out a match-high 44 assists and lifting a match-high nine digs.

UP NEXT

• Vassar will take on the winner of #3 Wentworth and Lancaster Bible tomorrow evening at 6:00 p.m. in the National Quarterfinals.