The Finger Lakes Community College men’s volleyball team wrapped up an impressive postseason run with a fourth-place finish at the NJCAA National Tournament, the second-highest placement in program history. After a tough five-set loss on Friday, the Lakers bounced back on Saturday with back-to-back wins before falling in the elimination round to Nassau.
FLCC opened the day by sweeping 10th-seeded Middlesex College in dominant fashion, taking all three sets by double digits. Evan Lukasiewicz (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) and Aaron Hennessy (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) each notched 10 kills, while Cole Thomas (Fayetteville, N.Y./Chittenango) dished out 33 assists to lead the offense. Jack Donovan (Oswego, N.Y./Oswego) and Bryce Nickson (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) anchored the defense with 7 and 6 digs, respectively.
The momentum carried into a dramatic five-set thriller against Northampton. Down 2-1, the Lakers rallied behind 19 kills and 15 digs from Lukasiewicz and 17 kills and 5 block assists from Ethan Bond (Phelps, N.Y./Midlakes). Donovan added 10 kills and 13 digs, while Thomas posted 52 assists. Nickson turned in a defensive masterclass with a match-high 30 digs.
The Lakers’ run ended in a hard-fought 3-1 loss to Nassau—their third meeting of the season. Lukasiewicz capped off the tournament with another 19-kill effort, and Hennessy added 8 kills and 13 digs. Alvarado led the team at the net with 5 block assists.
The Lakers finish the season with a 13-9 record, anchored by standout performances across the board. Lukasiewicz led the team with 3.87 kills per set and 325 total kills, closing his career as FLCC’s all-time kills leader with 588. Nickson topped the defense with 241 digs and 2.77 per set, ending his FLCC tenure with a program-best 543 career digs. Thomas averaged 8.83 assists per set, while Alvarado led the team in total blocks with 53.
FLCC graduates four key contributors—Hennessy, Nickson, Marc Williams, and Lukasiewicz—who played vital roles in the 2024 national title and this year’s historic run.
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