Nassau Community College continued its dominant season with a commanding straight-sets victory in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Men's Volleyball National Tournament, sweeping Atlantic Cape Community College on April 23 at the College of DuPage.
The Lions (21-5) controlled the match from start to finish, winning 25-18, 25-19, 25-14 to advance to the national semifinals.
Nassau's offense was firing on all cylinders, finishing with a .282 hitting percentage compared to Atlantic Cape's -.051. Leading the charge was Johncarlo Rivera, who delivered a near-perfect performance with 11 kills on 12 attempts for an incredible .917 hitting percentage, adding two service aces and two blocks for a match-high 14 points.
Joseph Woods provided a strong presence on the outside, tallying 12 kills and 13.5 points, while Dillon Wallace added four kills on an .375 hitting percentage. Tristan Harrison chipped in with four kills and contributed defensively at the net.
Running the offense was Dom Cieleski, who dished out 32 assists and helped orchestrate a balanced attack that saw Nassau improve its hitting percentage in each set (.241, .269, .348). Defensively, Ismael Nunez anchored the back row with a match-high 12 digs, while Thomas Wildeman added eight digs and a team-high four service aces to keep pressure on Atlantic Cape.
Nassau set the tone early with a decisive first-set win and never looked back, tightening its grip on the match with improved efficiency and defensive consistency as the contest progressed. The Lions' ability to limit errors and capitalize on scoring opportunities proved too much for Atlantic Cape to overcome.
With the win, Nassau advances to the semifinals of the national tournament where they will see Ocean Community College 4/24/2026 at 6:30pm, the Lions look to move one step closer to a national championship.
