BOX SCORE

NEW YORK, N.Y. (April 12, 2024) – In front of a loud and energetic crowd at Baruch's ARC Arena, the top-seeded Baruch Bearcats defeated its archrival and second-seeded Hunter Hawks in four sets (27-25, 26-24, 26-28, 25-18) to win the 2024 CUNYAC Men's Volleyball Championship. With the victory, the Bearcats earned the league's automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship.
 
For an eighteenth time in CUNYAC history, the two Lexington Avenue schools competed to hoist the championship trophy. Coming in as one of the hottest teams in the country, Baruch extended its win streak to 18 matches to earn conference bragging rights for a fourth consecutive season and a 14th time in program history.
 
Peter Gavroff was named the championship's Most Valuable Player. The sophomore hit .488 with a match-high 24 kills in the victory.
 
Jack Centeno finished with 14 kills, five digs and a pair of aces in the win, while Ryan Oommen dished out 46 assists with 11 digs. For their performances, they each earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
 
The matchup was as advertised in the first set, as both teams hit over .420 for the game. Tied 12-12, Baruch moved ahead with a 5-1 spurt to take a 17-13 lead. The Hawks countered with a 6-2 run to tie the match once again at 19. The two teams traded points until the very end, when back-to-back points from Ari Osmanaj secured a 27-25 victory for the Bearcats and 1-0 series lead.
 
In the second set, Baruch found its back against the wall, trailing 24-22. Following a timeout, the Bearcats scored back-to-back, highlighted by an ace from Centeno. Baruch took advantage of a pair of Hunter miscues to clinch a 26-24 win and 2-0 series advantage.    
 
In the third set, Hunter clawed its way back into the match, staving off elimination with a 28-26 victory. The Hawks hit a whooping .382 in the frame.
 
Hunter rode its new momentum into the fourth game, racing out to an early 10-4 lead. Baruch withstood the punch and landed a knockout of its own, using an 14-5 run to take the lead for good and secure the series victory.
 
Haoxin Hu contributed eight kills and three total blocks in the win, while Osmanaj chipped in with four kills and three total blocks.
 
For Hunter, Cooper Moran finished with a double-double of 46 digs and 11 assists, while Kyle Foley finished with a team-high 18 kills. Muhammed Al-Amine Mbaye added 15 kills in the loss.
 
2024 CUNYAC Men's Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team
Championship MVP: Peter Gavroff, Baruch
Ryan Oommen, Baruch
Jack Centeno, Baruch
Cooper Moran, Hunter
Kyle Foley, Hunter
Logan Ramos, John Jay
Alain Abreu Esteva, Lehman