Posted: Apr 04, 2025
Lakers Drop Five-Set Heartbreaker to Bryant & Stratton in NJCAA Tournament Opener
By Logan Weingartner
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. - The Finger Lakes Community College men's volleyball team suffered a tough loss to Bryant & Stratton (WI) on the first day of the NJCAA national tournament, hosted here at FLCC.
Evan Lukasiewicz (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) hammered home a team-high 24 kills, while also making contributions on the defensive end with 7 digs. Ethan Bond (Phelps, N.Y./Midlakes) showed up big in his first start of the year with 12 kills, while Cole Thomas (Fayetteville, N.Y./Chittenago) aided the offensive attack with a team-high 43 assists. Jack Donovan (Oswego, M.Y./Oswego), Darin Conrad (Clifton Springs, N.Y./Midlakes) and Bryce Nickson (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) all headlined the backend and made key defensive plays.
The two squads remained close throughout the entire contest, with momentum swings each way. However, the Bobcats caught fire in the fifth set and never looked back, taking a decisive 3-2 victory over the Lakers.
Finger Lakes will look to avenge their day one defeat, when they take on 10th-seeded Middlesex College on Saturday, April 5th at 10 AM on court 1. The Colts come off an upset victory over the 9th-seeded Passaic County Panthers on Friday.
