No. 2 seed MIT (22-7) defeated No. 1 seed SUNY New Paltz (22-7) in four sets to claim the 2026 UVC Championship match from the Hawk Center on the campus of SUNY New Paltz on Sunday, April 12. MIT won the first set, 26-24 before New Paltz rallied to win the second set, 25-19. MIT then took the next two sets by identical 27-25 scores to claim its first UVC Championship and earn the league's automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Championship Tournament.
 
MIT first-year standout Nate Toth was named the 2026 UVC Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player after slamming a match high 18 kills and 21.5 points in the win. The Engineers avenged a four-set regular season loss to New Paltz on Feb. 21. MIT is making its second trip to the NCAA Tournament and first since 2014.

SUNY New Paltz was looking to win its fourth UVC Championship, having previously won in 2014, 2016 and 2019. The Hawks, along with NYU, will look to earn at-large berths into the NCAA Tournament. The Hawks entered the day ranked sixth in the NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball National Power Index, while NYU began the day ranked ninth.
 
The NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball Selection show will take place Monday, April 13 at 10 a.m. on www.ncaa.com. First round, second round and quarterfinal action will take place April 16-18 at campus sites. The championships will conclude with the semifinal and final rounds April 23 and 25 at Blake Arena Center on the campus of Springfield College in Springfield, MA. 

MIT earned the conference's automatic qualifier and will be making the program's second NCAA appearance and first since 2014.

In set one, Henry Garewal gave MIT a 19-14 lead, but the Hawks used a 4-0 run to pull top within one. Maddox Brandenburg stopped the New Paltz run, but the Hawks took the lead off a block from Geoff Ndoria to go up 22-21. The teams continued to stay close before an ace from Matthew Louis and a kill from Nate Toth gave the Engineers set one, 26-24.  

A Toth kill and Louis ace tied the match at eight in set two, but New Paltz regained the lead and did not relinquish it, as Michael Spiegel gave the host set point with a kill.

Trailing 16-13 in set three, New Paltz went on a 4-0 run with an ace from Matt Teplansky giving them a 17-16 lead. MIT quickly jumped back in the lead as Braeden Baker recorded two kills and a block to make it a 19-17 MIT lead. Daniel Shanley gave New Paltz the lead back at 22-21 and yet again the two squads would go back-and-forth before three-straight points for the Engineers gave them the set, 27-25.  

Back-to-back kills from Baker and Toth gave MIT a 12-9 lead in the fourth set. An MIT error got New Paltz to within one at 16-15 and three-straight kills from Ndoria gave the Hawks a 18-17 advantage. Baker then scored three of the next four points to put the Engineers back up one at 21-20. Nikko Tenedorio gave New Paltz set point, but a kill from Toth and an error made it 24 all. Tenedorio gave New Paltz the lead, but MIT scored three straight with Baker's 14th kill of the day giving MIT the 27-25 win. 

Toth had a match-high 18 kills and added seven digs and three aces. Zimmerman dished out 49 assists and nine digs. Garewal led the way with 14 digs.  

Tenedorio led New Paltz with 12 kills and three aces. 

 

2026 UVC Championship Schedule (All matches at SUNY New Paltz)

Friday, April 10 – First Round
No. 4 Hobart College defeated No. 5 Vassar College, 3-1 (19-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-18) – BOX SCORE 
No. 3 NYU defeated No. 6 St. John Fisher University, 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-15) – BOX SCORE 

Saturday, April 11 – Semifinals
No. 1 SUNY New Paltz defeated No. 4 Hobart, 3-1 (25-17, 25-15, 23-25, 28-26) – BOX SCORE 
No. 2 MIT defeated No. 3 NYU, 3-1 (25-21, 27-25, 22-25, 25-22) – BOX SCORE

Sunday, April 12 - Championship
No. 2 MIT defeated No. 1 SUNY New Paltz, 3-1 (26-24, 19-25, 27-25, 27-25) – BOX SCORE 

2026 UVC Championship Most Valuable Player
Nate Toth, Fr., OH, MIT