Lakers Finish 4th in the Nation After NJCAA Tournament Run

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. – The Finger Lakes Community College men's volleyball team recorded their first two wins of the NJCAA National Tournament on Saturday, rebounding from Friday's five-set loss with dominant play on their home court.

The Lakers opened the day with a commanding sweep of 10th-seeded Middlesex College, winning each of the three sets by double digits. Evan Lukasiewicz (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) and Aaron Hennessy (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) continued their standout postseason performances, each tallying 10 kills. The duo also combined for 9 digs and added 2 service aces apiece. Cole Thomas (Fayetteville, N.Y./Chittenango) paced the offense with 33 assists, while Jack Donovan (Oswego, N.Y./Oswego) and Bryce Nickson (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) anchored the back row with 7 and 6 digs, respectively.

In their second match of the day, the Lakers battled from behind in a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over Northampton, rallying after trailing 2-1. Lukasiewicz once again led the attack with 19 kills and 15 digs. Ethan Bond (Phelps, N.Y./Midlakes) played a major role with 17 kills and 5 block assists, while Donovan chipped in 10 kills and 13 digs. Cole Thomas fueled the offense with 52 assists and added a block solo, while Dominick Alvarado (York, P.A./Northeastern) was efficient with 4 kills and 4 total blocks. Nickson played a key role defensively in the back row, finishing with a match-high 30 digs.

The Lakers' tournament run came to an end in the elimination round against Nassau, falling 3-1 in a physical matchup; their third meeting this season. Lukasiewicz capped off his stellar tournament with another 19-kill performance, while Hennessy added 8 kills and 13 digs. Thomas continued his consistency with 32 assists and 2 aces, while Alvarado led the team at the net with 5 more block assists.

The Lakers close out the season with a 13-9 overall record and a 4th place national finish—their second-highest national placement in program history following back-to-back championships.

Season leaders included Evan Lukasiewicz, who led the team with 3.87 kills per set and 325 total kills, finishing with a .302 hitting percentage and 588 career kills; the most in program history. Bryce Nickson anchored the defense with 2.77 digs per set and 241 total digs this season, including 543 career digs; a program high, while Cole Thomas averaged 8.83 assists per set as the team's primary setter. Dominick Alvarado led the team in total blocks with 53.

The Lakers graduate key contributors in Aaron Hennessy, Bryce Nickson, Marc Williams, and Evan Lukasiewicz, all of whom played pivotal roles in the team's 2024 National Invitational Championship along with their historic run in 2025.