Poughkeepsie, NY - The #9 Vassar College Men's Volleyball team heads to the John A. Paulson Center on the campus of #1 New York University on Friday for the First Round of the 2025 NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Championship as the Brewers will take on sixth-seeded #7 Cal Lutheran in a 2024 National Championship rematch beginning at 6:30 p.m. Live video and live stats will be available for all matches of the NCAA Championship
#9 Vassar At A Glance
- Vassar enters the NCAA Tournament at 22-6 overall and finished 4-3 in United Volleyball Conference (UVC) play after winning the first 12 matches of the season, which was the best start to a campaign in program history.
- The Brewers have taken on 15 nationally ranked opponents this season and have posted a 9-6 record in those matches, including a sweep of then-#2 Springfield on April 5th.
- VC bowed out in five sets to #15 Nazareth in the UVC Championship semifinals on Saturday before being selected with an At-Large bid for the second consecutive season.
- VC is led by three All-UVC selections as Second Team honoree Gavin Akoto ranks second on the team in total blocks with 70 and is fourth in kills with 136. The senior also ranks tied for fifth in service aces with 13 and has lifted 36 digs this season. Akoto was named Co-UVC Player of the Week on February 10 and has recorded a block in all but two matches played this season. He was also named to the UVC All-Tournament team earlier this week.
- Second Team selection Walter Birnbaum leads the team with 210 kills and ranks fourth on the squad in blocks with 42. The sophomore also ranks in the top-five in digs with 82 and has landed 13 aces. Birnbaum has recorded 10 matches with double-digit kills and buried a career-high 20 winners in a triumph over nationally-ranked Nichols on January 25. He also lifted a career-high 10 digs in back-to-back matches against Arcadia and Misericordia.
- AVCA All-Region II selection and UVC Honorable Mention honoree Armaan Desai closed the regular season tied for fifth in the conference in total blocks and was second in the league in blocks per set. Desai leads the squad in total blocks with 84 and currently sits third on the team in kills with 138 and is third on the squad in aces with 19. Desai was named the Co-UVC Player of the Week on April 7 and was tabbed the AVCA Division III National Player of the Week on April 8 following a big week against #1 NYU and #2 Springfield.
- Senior Payne Lounsbery leads the squad in assists with 421 along with aces with 48 while sophomore Parker Schoenl has recorded 276 assists and senior Nick Villamil has handed out 220 assists.
- Senior Billy Fan ranks second on the team in aces with 39 and is second on the team in kills with 165 and digs with 135 along with classmate Tobias Clark adding 108 winners and 12 aces.
- Sophomore Tucker Shearn leads the team in digs with 181 while Lounsbery ranks third in the digs category with 128.
- As a team, Vassar enters the NCAA Tournament hitting .288 and is averaging 2.5 blocks per set. Opponents are hitting just .149 against the Brewers and are held to 9.5 kills per set.
Previewing #7 Cal Lutheran
- Cal Lutheran makes the cross country trip to New York City with a 21-6 overall record on the season as a Division III Independent.
- The Kingsmen have matched up with 10 nationally ranked foes and hold a record of 8-2 in those matches.
- Cal Lu is led by 2024 All-American graduate students Jordan Cooper and Michael Stahl, who have both buried over 300 kills on the season.
- Cooper leads the team in kills with 325 while also leading the team in aces with 40 and ranking third on the team in blocks with 56.
- Stahl is second on the team in winners with 320 and has added 12 aces, 145 digs and 42 total blocks.
- Ben Weber has recorded 247 kills for the third-highest on the team and ranks second on the squad in digs with 190 and is fourth in blocks with 49.
- Borys Horiuk leads the team in total blocks with 80 and has added 131 kills and 22 aces along with Parker Brown sitting second in blocks with 61.
- Keaton Hendry is the team-leader in assists with 616 while Gavin Galanski has handed out 371 assists.
- Braden Gonzales leads the team in digs with 273.
- Cal Lutheran has recorded a .295 hitting percentage as a team and has averaged 2.2 blocks per set.
- Opponents have hit .213 against the Kingsmen while only tallying 96 total aces in 27 matches.
Recent History vs the Kingsmen
- Vassar and Cal Lutheran have met four times to date with the Kingsmen winning three out of the four matchups.
- The Brewers won the first ever meeting with a sweep of Cal Lutheran in 2017 before Cal Lu has won the last three, including two victories last season.
Vassar's NCAA History
- Vassar made its furthest run in the NCAA Tournament last season as the Brewers made a magical run to the NCAA National Championship match for the first time in school history.
- The Brewers have advanced to the Final Four three times (2018, 2023, 2024) and will be making their sixth NCAA Championship appearance since 2017.
The Gary File
- Head Coach Richard Gary, in his ninth season with the Brewers, became the men's volleyball program's winningest head coach in school history on January 17 with a sweep of Kean.
- Gary holds a record of 180-62 (.744) in his nine seasons and has been at the helm of all three of the program's Final Four apperances along with all six of the NCAA Tournament appearances.
- Gary was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year in 2023, just the second ever in program history, and was also named the AVCA Region II Coach of the Year and UVC Coach of the Year in 2023 and 2024.
- Gary has eclipsed the 20-win mark five times in his nine seasons and has won the UVC Conference Championship twice (2021, 2023).
What's At Stake
- The winner of Friday's match will advance to the regional final to take on the winner of Buffalo State/Baruch vs NYU on Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. for the chance to go to the Final Four.
NCAA NYU Regional Schedule
| Thursday, April 17 |
| Time |
Match |
| 6:30 PM |
Match 1: Buffalo State vs. Baruch |
| Friday, April 18 |
| Time |
Match |
| 4:00 PM |
Match 2: NYU vs. Match 1 Winner |
| 6:30 PM |
Match 3: Vassar vs. Cal Lutheran |
| Saturday, April 19 |
| Time |
Match |
| 6:30 PM |
Match 4: Match 2 Winner vs. Match 3 Winner |
Ticket Information
| Adults |
$15 |
| Students/Veterans/Children/Seniors |
$10 |
Please direct any ticketing questions to Adam Fazlee at asf9846@nyu.edu
Location:
- John A. Paulson Center - 181 Mercer Street, New York, NY 10012
- Closest public transit: B/D/F/M/6 train at Broadway-Lafayette Station
Spectator Parking:
There is no parking at the Paulson Center. Street parking is available, but often limited. We recommend the following local garages:
