Lakers Take Down NCAA Opponents to Extend Winning Streak to 14
POTSDAM, N.Y. - The Finger Lakes Community College men's volleyball team is now 26-3 following a pair of wins over NCAA Division III opponents Russell Sage and SUNY Potsdam. With the wins, the Lakers have now won 14 straight matches as they roll through the regular season and head to postseason play starting on April 12th.
Sophomore Nick Ferris (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua) continued to lead the Lakers' dynamic offense in their first match of the day against Russell Sage. Ferris delivered a stellar performance with 10 kills on a .909 hitting percentage. His strong offense was complemented by a solo block, culminating in 11 points. Freshman Evan Lukasciewicz (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) and Aaron Hennessy (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) also contributed to the win. Lukasiewicz, with a .375 hitting percentage, added 5 kills and a solo block to his name, amassing 6 points. Hennessy impressed with a .800 hitting percentage, contributing 4 kills and a service ace, totaling 5 points.
The offense was orchestrated by sophomore Bryce Ceravolo (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua) who added 27 assists to his tally. Ceravolo's performance did not stop there; he also made his presence felt on the defensive side, adding 3 solo blocks. Classmates Bryce Nickson (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) and Marc Williams (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua) boosted the Lakers' service game, contributing to the team's 3 service aces. Nickson's all-around play was crucial, leading the team with 6 digs and adding 2 points to his total.
In their second match of the day, the Lakers would face off against SUNY Potsdam. The Lakers would take set one before Potsdam would tie the match one all in the second set. However, the Lakers would go on to take the remaining two sets to secure the 3-1 victory. Sophomore Nick Ferris emerged as a dominant force once again, leading the attack with 12 kills on a .458 hitting percentage. His exceptional performance, coupled with 6 block assists, contributed a total of 15 points to the Lakers' tally.
Sophomore Bryce Ceravolo proved his versatility and leadership on the squad in a dominant performance. The second-year setter set the offense up with 38 assists while adding 5 kills on a flawless hitting percentage. Ceravolo's defensive contributions added to his strong performance with 2 solo blocks and 4 block assists, amassing 11 points in the match. Sophomore Ian Meeks (Victor, N.Y./Victor) and freshman Evan Lukasiewicz made significant contributions to the win. Meeks tallied 7 kills and added a service ace and 3 block assists for a total of 10 points. Lukasiewicz, with 8 kills and a service ace, tallied 9 points for the match.
Teammates Aaron Hennessy and Samuel Guardado (San Salvador, El Salvador/Josue Christian) added depth to the Lakers' performance, with Hennessy adding 4 kills and a service ace, and Guardado contributing 4 kills on a .667 hitting percentage. Defensively, the Lakers stood out with a total of 56 digs and 23 blocks. Freshman Bryce Nickson led the backcourt with 14 digs in a formidable performance.
The pair of wins set the stage for the Lakers regular-season finale on Saturday, April 6th when the team will travel to NCAA Division III Buffalo State College. The game will not only cap off the regular season but also serve as an opportunity to extend their win streak to 15 heading into the 2024 NJCAA Men's Volleyball National Invitational Tournament.