BEVERLY, MASS. – Russell Sage College fell 3-0 tonight at Endicott in the first round of the New England Volleyball Conference Championship Tournament.

Freshman outside hitter John Lindheimer (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) topped the Gators (9-23), the six seed, with eight kills on .353 hitting, and two aces.

Junior outside hitter Sean Pingelski (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) and sophomore opposite Dylan Fox (Albany, NY/Colonie Central), announced as a second-team All-Conference performer earlier this week, added five kills each.

Freshman setter Anthony Guetti (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) dished out 23 assists and blocked an Endicott (13-11) attack.

The third-seeded Gulls hit .439 as a team to advance to Saturday's Semifinals. 

Junior outside hitter Aidan Iacovelli, a first-team All-NEVC selection, paced Endicott with 11 kills on .588 hitting and four digs. Junior outside hitter Jake Laborde contributed eight kills on .312 hitting and six aces. 

The Gulls will play SUNY Potsdam, the two seed, in the Semifinals on Saturday at 7:00 PM. Top-seeded Nichols will host Saturday's Semifinals and Sunday's Championship Match. 

Gator Bites with Papa John's: The spring marks the fourth with Reid Hartl at the helm of the Gators…RSC returns six players from last season's team, highlighted by Fox, the 2024 NEVC Rookie of the Year…The opposite, voted second-team All-NEVC, began the postseason ranked second in the Conference with 320 kills... He was chosen the NEVC Player of the Week twice this spring…Guetti was selected the NEVC Rookie of the Week for the period ending Sunday, March 30...The freshman recorded 107 assists, 16 digs, eight aces, four kills, and a block to help RSC go 2-1 and secure an NEVC Championship Tournament berth...He began the week ranked fifth in the Conference with 7.25 assists per-set…Senior opposite Wylkins Occelin (Brooklyn, NY/John Dewey) started the week ranked fourth in the NEVC with 0.64 blocks per-set…Hartl added nine newcomers to the roster, including senior middle blocker Confidence Burrowes (East Orange, NJ/Donald M. Payne/Wells)…Fox, Burrows, and Occelin were voted co-captains.