Lakers Make History with First-Round Win at NJCAA National Championship

Glen Ellyn, IL - In a historic moment for the program and the sport, the Finger Lakes Men's Volleyball team opened play at the inaugural NJCAA National Championship with a statement victory, defeating Union College in the first round.

This year marks the first time the event has been recognized as an official NJCAA National Championship after previously being held as an invitational, and the Lakers made the most of the opportunity on the national stage.

Facing a familiar opponent in Union College, a team that had defeated them in both previous matchups this season, the Lakers rose to the occasion when it mattered most. Showing resilience and growth, Finger Lakes flipped the script with a strong all-around performance to earn the win and advance.

Offensively, the Lakers were led by Ethan Bond (Phelps, N.Y. / Midlakes), who delivered a dominant outing with 17 kills and a .371 hitting percentage. Zach Sipos (Canandaigua, N.Y. / Canandaigua Academy) added 11 kills and made his presence felt across the front row, while Dominick Alverado (York, PA. / Northeastern) chipped in with 6 kills to help balance the attack.

Setter Cole Thomas (Fayetteville, N.Y. / Chittenango) orchestrated the offense with 38 assists, keeping the Lakers in system and allowing multiple hitters to find success.

Defensively, the Lakers were just as sharp.  Jack Donovan (Oswego, N.Y. / Oswego) led the back row with 8 digs, while Braden Whitcomb (Canandaigua, N.Y. / Canandaigua Academy) controlled the net with 2 solo blocks and 2 block assists.

The Lakers will be back in action tommorow at 3 PM CT / 4 PM ET as they take on the #1 seed and defending invitational champions, College of DuPage.