DUDLEY, Mass. –  Russell Sage College dropped both of its matches this afternoon at the Nichols tri-match. The Gators fell to the host Bison and Rivier by 3-0 scores.

Senior opposite Elijah Tortorici (Clifton Park, NY/Mohonasen) and junior opposite Wylkins Occelin (Brooklyn, NY/John Dewey) topped RSC with seven kills apiece on the day.

Middle hitter Andrew Samson (Queens, NY/Pathways), a graduate student, totaled six kills, four blocks and two aces, while setter Ryan Jennings (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick Township), a graduate student, tallied a combined 20 assists. Defensive specialist/libero Asuan Farrell (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen), a graduate student, paced RSC with ten digs, five in each match.

Nichols, now winners of seven-straight, hit .323 as a team in the sweep. Freshman right side Adam Bender and Carlos Mercado, a grad student, registered seven kills each to lead the Bison.

Rivier (6-4), on a four-game winning streak, received nine kills on .375 hitting from senior outside hitter Sokunbuth Ly in the neutral site victory. The Raiders hit .403 as a squad.

Looking ahead, RSC (3-11) plays Friday at 7:00 pm at Medaille.

Notes: The Gators began their second spring with Reid Hartl at the helm…He guided RSC to a spot in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship Tournament in his debut campaign…Seven players returned from the squad…The Gators were picked to finish seventh in the conference by the member coaches…Setter Ryan Jennings (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick Township), a graduate student, and middle hitter Andrew Samson (Queens, NY/Pathways), both graduate students, were voted co-captains…Jennings began the season with 2,157 career assists, second-most by a Gator…Kyle Ray '13 holds the program record with 2,910 career assists…Four newcomers, two from New York, one from Colorado, and another from Texas, joined the program in 2023.

#SageNation