Men's Volleyball Takes Down #1 Monroe to Advance to National Semifinal
GLEN ELLYN, IL - In a stunning upset, the Finger Lakes Community College Lakers defeated the top-seeded Monroe College Mustangs in a four-set thriller during the NJCAA Men's Volleyball National Invitational's crossover round. The two teams had met twice during the regular season, with the Mustangs coming out on top in both games. In the high-pressure occasion the Lakers didn't let their previous losses put the writing on the all as the team went on to take the matchup 3-1.
The Lakers and the Mustangs traded blows early on in a tight first set. With neither team able to gain an advantage, the Lakers managed to grab the slimmest of leads at 17-15 before the Mustangs called a timeout. After the break, the Lakers continued to fight and outscored their opponents 3-1, eventually winning the first set 25-21.
In the second set, the Lakers once again took an early lead at 12-9, but the Mustangs mounted a comeback and snatched a late 21-19 lead. The Lakers came within striking distance, but Monroe held on to win a nail-biting 25-23 set. The third set was all Finger Lakes, as they raced to a commanding 17-9 lead and never looked back, winning 25-22.
In the fourth set, with the Lakers leading 2-1, the Mustangs put it all on the line, never failing to back down. With the Lakers on match point at 24-22, the Mustangs rallied to tie the game 25-25, forcing extended play. The two teams continued to battle back and forth until the Lakers emerged victorious with a 36-34 final score in what was an instant classic on the College of DuPage's home court. The win secured the Lakers spot in the national invitational semifinal.
Freshman outside hitter Jonah Grbic (Victor, N.Y./ Victor) continued to lead the Lakers on the attack as he has all season, finishing with 23 kills and a hitting percentage of .486. Grbic's efforts were complemented by fellow Victor alumni Ian Meeks (Victor, N.Y./ Victor), who tallied 18 kills and had a hitting percentage of .371. When it mattered most, freshman Nick Ferris (Canandaigua, N.Y./ Canandaigua) stepped up to be a major contributor to the Lakers success, putting up 13 kills and hitting an impressive .667.
The Lakers offensive attack was fueled by setter Bryce Ceravolo (Canandaigua, N.Y./ Canandaigua) who had a standout performance, recording 55 assists in the match. Samuel Guardado (San Salvador, El Salvador/ Josue Christian) played a crucial role in the serving department, securing 2 aces and helping the team gain crucial points in the gritty matchup.
Defensively, the Lakers were led by AJ DeBalso (Canandaigua, N.Y./ Canandaigua) with 10 digs, while Ian Meeks added 8 digs. Daniel Seymour (Bellmore, N.Y./ John F. Kennedy) was solid on the net, recording 1 block solo and 1 block assist, followed by Bryce Ceravolo and Nick Ferris with 2 block assists each.
Continue to follow along with the Lakers men's volleyball team during their NJCAA men's volleyball national invitational run by following the Lakers on social media @flccathletics on Facebook and Twitter, and @flcclakers on Instagram. You can also visit the College of DuPage's tournament page for more information by clicking here.