UTICA, NY – The St. John Fisher University men's volleyball stunned #3 Wentworth on Friday night, besting them in five before taking down SUNY Potsdam to improve their overall record to 5-1. The Cardinals entered the week ranked #11 in the nation after dropping to #4 Stevens last week.

Fisher will end their road trip in Utica on Sunday, with a rematch from Jan. 14, 2023 against Misericordia at 1 p.m. and a 5 p.m. contest against Nichols college.

Fisher 3, Wentworth 2

The first set started locked at 14-14, but the Cardinals were able to take a 20-15 edge on three errors from the Leopards and a kill from Griffin Stella. The four point deficit would be too large for the Leopoards to overcome, as the Cardinals would take the first set 25-20. The Leopards were held to a 0.040 hitting percentage in the first, behind 10 kills and nine errors. Meanwhile, Fisher settled for a 0.273 hitting percentage behind 10 kills compared to four errors. The first set featured seven ties and two lead changes.

In the second set, the Leopards took control 8-7 and would not relinquish the lead, winning the set in a 25-20 fashion. 17 kills and three blocks set Wentworth up for the second set victory, as Fisher tallied 12 kills and four errors. 

Looking to carry momentum into the third set, Wentworth found themselves up 16-13. Fisher's attempt to battle back featured kills from Jake Baker, Gabe La Robardiere, and Matt Beiter, who brought the deficit to two, down 23-22. After the teams each added a point, a kill from Wentworth put the Cardinals down 2 sets to 1.

With the fourth set knotted at 15, the Cardinals would go on a 6-1 run to grab a 21-16 lead. The run was supported by multiple kills from Baker and Gabe La Robardiere. Not giving up, Wentworth attempted to come back, but a kill from Josh Bigford helped give the Cardinals a 25-21 fourth set victory to tie the game at 2.

The Cardinals would come out strong in the fifth set, opening a 7-2 lead on two aces. While the Leopards would attempt to bounce back, the Cardinals maintained their five point edge throughout the contest, taking the fifth set 15-9, and the game, 3-2, on another error from Wentworth.

Overall, the Cardinals hit 0.389 throughout, with 57 kills to 13 errors. Bigford (15), Baker (13), and Beiter (10), each had 10+ kills in the win, with Baker hitting career a best 0.632. After the game, Baker, who made his 2023 season debut, acknowledged the challenges and persistent attitude of the last week: "There was definitely a lot of adrenaline back on the court, but it felt really good to be out there with the team again…we had a great game plan going in, and I think we executed it really well. [I am] very proud of everyone bringing so much energy on the court and on the bench, and that helped out a lot."

When asked about the emotions of defeating the team that knocked the Cardinals out of the NCAA Tournament last season, Baker responded, "I think a lot of us had it in the back of our minds, but it wasn't a huge focus going into the game. We are a totally different team this year and they are too. I think we proved what we are capable of and would say that after this win everyone should be aware of our program and the talent we have. We know there are a lot of good teams out there, but we belong in that conversation. We are ready to make a run at a national championship."

Fisher 3, SUNY Potsdam 0

The Cardinals were not finished after topping #3 Wentworth. The Cardinals started the first set against the Potsdam Bears tied at 18, before kills from Gabe La Robardiere, Stella, Casey Jackson, and Bigford delivered a 7-4 run to take set one in 25-22 fashion. Fisher came out swinging in the first set, putting down 17 kills to two errors, good for a 0.517 hitting percentage.

The second set shared a similar story to the first, as Fisher jumped out to an early advantage before the Bears came back to bring the deficit to two, down 16-14. Fisher would take the 9 of the next 14 points, taking the second set by a 25-19 measure.

In the third set, the Bears took their first lead of the game up 8-7, but Fisher would rebound to go up three, 13-10. After rattling off three straight points, the Cardinal lead was erased, as the Bears tied the score at 13. In a back-and-forth nature, the Cardinals and Bears held steady until the Bears were staked a 23-21 lead. After a Cardinal timeout, Fisher would take three of the next four points to tie the score at 24. After a Bears timeout, the Cardinals swooped in on back-to-back points to win the third set 26-24, and the game, 3-0.

Bigford finished with 13 kills, two aces, two assists, and six digs, while first year Casey Jackson had a career high 13 kills across 21 attempts in the sweep, good for a 0.476 mark. Trace La Robardiere finished with nine digs and four assists and Gavin Newman was credited with 30 assists and an ace.

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