Canandaigua, NY – The #3-seed Monroe University men's volleyball team earned seventh place at the 2025 NJCAA Men's Volleyball Invitational on Saturday. After losing an elimination game to #2-seed Nassau Community College, 3-1 (18-25, 23-25, 25-23, 22-25), the Mustangs defeated #10-seed Middlesex College in straight sets (27-25, 25-20, 28-26) to earn seventh place.
Monroe couldn't get past its Region 15 foe Nassau to keep its championship hopes alive. The freshmen trio of
Amir Hudgins (11),
Erick Concepcion (10) and
Glenn Gandarillas (10) kept the Mustangs alive offensively with double-digit kills, but the Lions were too tall of a task.
Early on in set one, Nassau controlled the pace with a sizeable lead. But in set two, the Mustangs went on a late 7-1 run to tie it up at 21. However, a service error by Nassau and a kill from Hudgins was all Monroe would get to close out the set.
Falling into a 2-0 hole, the Mustangs rattled off 17 kills in set three to keep the match going. While set four saw Monroe hold a lead for much of the first half of the set, Nassau battled back with separate 3-0 and 4-0 runs to hold off the #3-seed.
The loss dropped Monroe into the seventh-place game, where it comfortably secured the victory with 43 kills in the straight set win. Gandarillas produced a team-high 11 kills and four service aces, while freshman
Quez Martin supplied ten kills in the victory over the Colts.
All three sets were close, but set one was Monroe's all the way despite a late run by Middlesex. Monroe led 18-9 at one point, however, it had to battle to the end as the Colts forced extra time. Concepcion recorded a crucial kill with the score tied at 25 before freshman
Santiago Valenca produced the set-winning service ace.
Monroe once again jumped out in front early in set two and they concluded the win with back-to-back attack errors by Middlesex. In set three, a back-and-forth beginning segued into a crucial 3-0 run to close out the set. Martin delivered a kill, then Valenca a service ace before Hudgins closed out the contest.
The Mustangs finish their first season under head coach
Megan Musselman with a 15-9 overall record, including a 9-2 mark at the Monroe Athletic Complex.
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE UNIVERSITY
The athletic program at Monroe University encompasses a total of 26 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as the Monroe University marching band, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has seven teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at
www.MonroeUMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (
Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (
@MonroeMustangs) and Instagram (
@monroemustangs).
