Championship Central
Final: #1 Baruch Bearcats 3, #3 York Cardinals 0 (25-11, 25-20, 25-10) - Boxscore
The CUNYAC Con Edison Men’s Volleyball Final featured a new match-up for the first time since 2004, #1 Baruch versus #3 York. After completing a stunning upset, York was looking for their first title since 1996 when they took down the Bearcats. On the opposite end, the #7 nationally ranked Baruch was looking for their fifth consecutive championship and eighth in school history.
The nationally ranked Bearcats of Baruch were dominant in the first set with an early 8-1 lead. Short runs closed the gap to as little as 15-9 but Baruch would not look back and found themselves with a quick 25-11 win in the set. The Bearcats had an unbelievable .565 hitting percentage in that first game with rookie Scott Standring racking up 12 assists.
The second set would prove to be a closer contest. After a long period of back and forth action, the Bearcats went on a 4-point run to bring the score to 13-9. Baruch went on to expand their lead to 19-13 but back came the Cardinals. A 6-1 run by York showed that they came to play but it would not be enough to overtake the Bearcats. Baruch would finish the set off 25-20 to take a commanding 2-0 lead.
Just one set from victory, the Bearcats opened the third set with a quick two point lead. York was not going to go easy, keeping it close until a massive 15-2 run by the Bearcats all but sealed their fifth straight championship. The final set would end 25-10 in favor of Baruch.
"We had a loss against NYU a little while ago and it really helped us," said Head Coach Allison Stack. "We learned that we can beat anybody but anybody can beat us and it helped us."
After hitting a miraculous .571 in the championship game, Baruch’s Jack McKee was named the Tournament MVP for the second consecutive year.
"I can't ask for a better team or a better coach," said McKee. "We have a tradition to win the championship and I am glad I was able to keep it alive."
The victory gave Baruch CUNYAC's NCAA Tournament Automatic Qualification.
After McKee, the All-Tournament Team was rounded out by Scott Standring (Baruch), Brady Ambro (Baruch), Edner Geffard (York), Avinash Thomas (York), Braien Otsla (Hunter), and David Dimitruk (Brooklyn).
Semifinal 1: #3 York Cardinals 3, #2 Hunter Hawks 2 (25-21, 33-31, 23-25, 5-25, 15-9) - Boxscore
At the CCNY Gymnasium in the upper west side of Manhattan, it was the #3 Cardinals of York over the #2 Hunter Hawks with the upset 3-2. Hunter had taken the two match-ups during the regular season but it would be York that prevailed when it counts. With the win, the Cardinals broke a streak of eight straight Baruch vs Hunter finals and advanced to the big game for the first time since 2004.
The first set began looking like an upset was in reach. Back and forth play kept the game close until a series of three attacking errors by Hunter gave York an 11-7 lead. Hunter chipped away to get within one point but York went on a small run to provide the breathing room they needed as they eventually took the set 25-21.
These teams were closely matched and set two showed just how close. Hunter began with a lead through the first 14 points as the higher seed showed control. Up until Hunter lead 24-22, the Hawks looked like they would knot the match at 1-1 but back came the Cardinals. York would tie the game at 24-24 and from there, every serve, set, and attack had the crowd holding their breath. Point for point they went until a smart play by 2011 Rookie of the Year Edner Geffard, gave the Cardinals the lead 32-31. An attacking error by the Hawks, gave York the set and the commanding 2-0 lead.
The third set was more of the same as the two teams went back and forth until the Hawks 4-point run to give them an 18-13 lead. The lead would stay at about five until Hunter reached the 24-point mark once again with a 24-19 lead. Again, back came the Cardinals with a run that brought the set to 24-23. A kill by Matthew NG would seal the deal for Hunter and so, the match stood at 2-1.
Hunter came out strong in the fourth set with a 5-1 run. The Hawks would not look back for the rest of the set. York would only score four points the rest of the set as Hunter dominated their way to a 25-5 victory that brought the game even at 2-2.
The fifth set would be the difference maker. Hunter had the momentum but it was the Cardinals that came out with an early 4-1 lead. Short runs by the Hawks wouldn’t be enough to overtake the York lead and so, the Cardinals would advance 3-2 after the 15-9 fifth set victory.
Semifinal 2: #1 Baruch Bearcats 3, #4 Brooklyn Bulldogs 0 (25-13, 25-16, 25-18) - Boxscore
The top-seeded Baruch Bearcats swept the #4 seed Brooklyn Bulldogs 25-13, 25-16, 25-18 in a semifinals match at CCNY’s Nat Holman Gymnasium. Baruch, currently ranked seventh in the nation, has now made the Championship game every year since 2004.
The Bearcats got off to an early 8-2 lead in the first set and would not look back. A combination of strong kills and Brooklyn attack errors opened the doors for Baruch as they finished the set on a 9-4 run. Freshman Scott Standring recorded 11 assists and senior Martin Joksimovik had four kills.
The second set saw both teams exchanging points until Baruch was able to string three consecutive points to take a 12-7 lead. Brooklyn would fight back and trim the lead to 15-11. However, the Bearcats responded recording the next six points. They would go on to win the second set 25-16. Baruch was led by junior Jack McKee.
The third and eventual final set started off similar as the second, with both teams trading points. The score remained close the entire set as the Bulldogs would not go away easy. Ultimately, strong play by junior Steven Coniglio helped Baruch win the last set 25-18 and advance to the final game.
For the Bulldogs, sophomore David Dimitruk picked up a team-high eight kills while junior Timothy Hui recorded 12 assists and six digs. As a team, Brooklyn was able to muster 24 kills, 24 assists and 17 digs.
On Baruch’s side, Standring racked up an impressive 31 kills, three kills, three digs and one ace. Coniglio and Joksimovik added 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Overall, the Bearcats hit a remarkable .465 and now move on to face the York Cardinals in the CUNYAC Championship game.