Springfield, Mass. - February 10, 2022 - The Springfield College men's volleyball team picked up a three-set win over Nichols in Blake Arena on Thursday evening by the scores of 25-23, 25-16, 25-16.

Ranked No. 1 in the country again in this week's AVCA Division III National Poll, Springfield is now 8-0 on the season, while the Bison slipped to 5-3.

Matt Lilley (Stony Brook, N.Y.) led Springfield to a .446 team hitting percentage as he handed out 27 assists and totaled three blocks and two aces.  Jarrett Anderson (San Jose, Calif.) led all players with nine kills, which came at a .692 clip, and tacked on five aces and five digs, while Brennen Brandow (Manorville, N.Y.) contributed seven kills.  Defensively, Troy Von Holt (Melville, N.Y.) delivered a match-best four blocks and Johjan Mussa Robles (Caguas, Puerto Rico) chipped in six digs. 

The opening set was a back-and-forth affair that featured 13 ties and six lead changes.  The Bison jumped out to a 7-4 lead following four-straight miscues by the Pride, but Springfield was able to respond with a 7-2 burst as Anderson hammered a ball in system to force Nichols into a timeout.  The visitors would again build an 18-16 lead, only to have Springfield use a 6-3 push capped off by an ace from Anderson to give the Pride an advantage for good at 22-21.  The Bison would fight off a set point before their seventh service error of the set gave Springfield a 25-23 win. 

Chris Parker (East Northport, N.Y.) ripped an early ace to give the Pride an 8-5 lead, and coming out of a Nichols timeout, Von Holt and Brandow combined for a block to make it 12-6.  Consecutive aces from Parker pushed the cushion to 21-12 and Brandow put down his fourth kill of the frame to complete the 25-16 win.  The Pride limited Nichols to a -.158 hitting percentage compared to its .429 clip.

14 different student-athletes saw the court in the third set as Springfield built a healthy 15-5 advantage, fueled by four aces from Anderson.  The Pride would own a .667 hitting percentage in the set as eight players had at least a kill, with Chris Rouleau (Bay Shore, N.Y.) blasting a ball off the block to seal the 25-16 win.   

On Saturday, Springfield will host a tri-match against No. 3 Stevens and Rivier beginning at 3 pm. 

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