Gators Down Three-Time Defending NEVC Champs on "Senior Night"
ALBANY, N.Y. – Russell Sage College Men’s Volleyball finished up the New England Volleyball Conference portion of its regular season slate by defeating visiting Nichols, the three-time defending Conference Champions, 3-2 (29-27, 25-15, 20-25, 20-25, 15-12) on Wednesday evening.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
27 | 15 | 25 | 25 | 12 | 2 |
|
|
29 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 3 |
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Nichols | Russell Sage College |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .259 | .281 |
| Blocks | 7.0 | 8.0 |
| Digs | 45 | 42 |
| Aces | 5 | 5 |
ALBANY, N.Y. – Russell Sage College Men's Volleyball finished up the New England Volleyball Conference portion of its regular season slate by defeating visiting Nichols, the three-time defending Conference Champions, 3-2 (29-27, 25-15, 20-25, 20-25, 15-12) on Wednesday evening.
The Gators (11-16/4-3 NEVC), heading to the NEVC Championship Tournament for the third-straight spring, hit .281 with five aces, and eight total blocks to earn the home triumph, just their second-ever against the Bison.
With all of the previous seven encounters between the squads being 3-0 sweeps, it appeared that the streak would continue as the Gators took the first two sets. RSC overcame a trio of Nichols match-point scenarios, 24-23, 25-24, and 26-25, to take the opener, before getting out to second stanza advantages of 7-2, 15-7, and 20-11.
However, Nichols (13-14/5-2 NEVC) displayed why it is gunning for its fourth-consecutive NEVC crown, taking the third and fourth sets by identical 25-20 scores. After hitting negative in the second set, the Bison hit .615 in the third frame, before forcing RSC to hit .000 in the fourth.
The Gators had four players tally two kills in the deciding fifth set, including setter Anthony Guetti (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa). The sophomore, who sits third in the Conference in assists per-set, also recorded an ace and seven assists in the final frame.
RSC, which last beat the Bison in 2019, Nichols' inaugural season, had six players register multiple kills in the home win, with four having at least nine.
Junior Dylan Fox (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) topped the victors with a double-double of 17 kills on .324 hitting and 10 digs. The opposite, currently fourth in the NEVC with 277 kills, tallied three blocks.
Sophomore outside hitter John Lindheimer (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) contributed 13 kills on .357 and four digs, while sophomore middle blocker Evan Devine (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) added ten kills on .474 hitting and three total blocks.
Before the contest, the final home match of the spring, the RSC Athletic Department recognized two senior student-athletes: outside hitter Sean Pingelski (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) and middle hitter Marcus Gentile (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central), for their contributions to the Men's Volleyball program.
The duo did their part to help the Gators take down the visitors this evening. Pingelski finished with nine kills on .208 hitting and three digs, while Gentile totaled two kills and three blocks.
Nichols was paced by sophomore Adam Vincent. The outside hitter had 27 kills, tying the program's single-game record, set by him earlier during the campaign, on .444 hitting and eight digs.
RSC, slated to play in an NEVC Tournament Quarterfinal next week, concludes the regular season with a non-conference tri-match at Curry on Saturday. The Gators will also face Fisher College that day.
Gator Bites with Papa John's: The spring marks the fifth with Reid Hartl at the helm of Russell Sage College Men's Volleyball…The Gators, heading to the New England Volleyball Conference Championship Tournament for the third-straight year, return eight players from last season's team…Fox, the 2024 NEVC Rookie of the Year and Guetti highlight the returning Gators…Fox, voted second-team All-NEVC, headed into the 2025 postseason ranked second in the Conference with 320 kills…Guetti became the fourth RSC player to surpass 1,000 career assists on January 31 vs. SUNY Poly…Hartl added five newcomers to the roster…The Gators have seven programs that earned votes in the AVCA preseason coaches' national poll on their schedule…Fox was selected the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, February 22…The opposite registered 30 kills on .434 hitting to help the Gators have a 3-0 week, all 3-0 road victories…Fox closed the night fourth in the NEVC for total kills, while Guetti sat third in the Conference in assists per-set.
Senior Night: Before the contest, the RSC Athletic Department recognized Pingelski and Gentile for their contributions to the Men's Volleyball program.
