No. 2 NYU (18-7) shook off a slow start to win the final three sets and defeat No. 1 seed Vassar College (23-7) in four sets in the 2024 UVC Championship match from Kenyon Hall on the campus of Vassar College on Sunday, April 14. The Violets dropped the first set 25-15 but rebounded to win the final three sets, 25-19, 25-22, 25-18. NYU won its second UVC title in program history and first since 2017. The Violets earn the UVC's automatic berth into the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship Tourmament.
 
The NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball Selection show will take place Monday, April 15 at 10 a.m. NYU will await their opponent and site, while Vassar will await a possible at-large berth. St. John Fisher University entered the weekend as the No. 1 ranked team in the Division III Region II rankings. First and quarterfinal action will take place April 19-20 at campus sites. The championships will conclude with the semifinal and final rounds April 26 and 28 at the Athletic Wellness Center in Dubuque, Iowa.

"It was a very courageous performance by this group of young men," said Head Coach José Piña. "It was a hard-fought match against an excellent Vassar team, and there were lots of momentum changes and big plays on both sides. But we were able to overcome a shaky start and earn an NCAA bid."

Vassar went ahead 10-7 early in the first set following a three-point run and held the lead for the rest of the set. The Brewers led by as many as 11 points at times as a three-point Violets' streak at the end was not enough to prevent Vassar from taking the first set.

The score was tied nine times in the second set until NYU broke a 16-16 deadlock through a Luke Boyer kill and a service ace. The Brewers kept coming back, tying the score two more times up to 19-19 until a six-point run capped by two Lucas Osiecki kills won the frame for the Violets. 

The Brewers broke a 3-3 tie in the third set by scoring three in a row, but the Violets responded with their own six-point run, capped by kills from Boyer and Buddy Cohen along with an Emerson Evans service ace. NYU held the lead for the rest of the set, extending the lead to four points at 21-17 with another three-point streak featuring kills from Evans and Osiecki, as well as a Boyer ace. 

Vassar came within one point at 21-20, but Ry Kagan's kill closed out the set.

The Violets broke a 6-6 tie in the fourth through a Vassar error and Osiecki kill and led for the rest of the set. Another four-point Violet streak extended the lead to five, and the team posted several more five-point leads throughout to win. The Brewers never looked to threaten that lead, as a Cohen kill ended the championship final. 

"This weekend was a total team effort in both matches," added Piña. "Congrats to them on a strong showing and on being able to persevere and earn the opportunity to compete for the national championship."

Osiecki led the match in kills with 14, followed by Evans and Kagan with 11 and 10, respectively. Evans and Osiecki posted 10 and nine digs, respectively, while Zach Knudsen led the match with 11. Devyn Nguyen recorded 44 assists and Boyer delivered three aces, both match-highs. 

Nguyen was named the UVC Championship Most Valuable Player.

For Vassar, Vaughn Ramsey notched a team-high 12 kills and three blocks while Gavin Akoto finished with nine kills, three blocks and an ace. Colin Jones tallied seven kills and two blocks along with Jacob Kim adding five kills, 20 assists, two aces and three digs. Billy Fan registered five kills, eight digs and two aces while Payne Lounsbery and Desai each buried four kills. Senior AJ Erickson handed out 21 assists and lifted 10 digs along with first year Tucker Shearn lifting a team-high 11 digs.

Vassar advanced to the UVC Championship match after defeating No. 4 seed MIT in three sets on Saturday. NYU defeated No. 6 seed Nazareth University in three sets Saturday in semifinal action.

2024 UVC Championship Schedule (All matches at Vassar College)

Friday, April 12 – First Round
No. 4 MIT defeated No. 5 Hobart College, 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 25-22, 25-23)  – BOX SCORE
No. 6 Nazareth University defeated No. 3 St. John Fisher University, 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-23) – BOX SCORE

Saturday, April 13 – Semifinals
No. 1 Vassar College defeated No. 4 MIT, 3-0 (25-12, 25-21, 25-20) – BOX SCORE
No. 2 NYU defeated 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-23 – BOX SCORE

Sunday, April 14 - Championship
No. 2 NYU defeated No. 1 Vassar, 3-1 (15-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-18) – BOX SCORE

2024 UVC Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player
Devyn Nguyen, Fr., S, NYU

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