PURCHASE, N.Y. – For the first time in program history, the Manhattanville University men's volleyball team will be hosting a postseason match. The Valiants carry the No. 4 seed into the 2025 Skyline Conference Men's Volleyball Championship and welcome the neighbors, fifth-seeded Purchase, into Kennedy Gymnasium on Tuesday night for the tournament's first round.
   
How We Got Here
In just its second season of being a program, Manhattanville men's volleyball has established itself in the thick of the Skyline Conference landscape. The Valiants made the postseason a year ago in the team's inaugural campaign, falling on the road at Ramapo in the tournament's opening round after a 9-9 mark in the conference.

The Valiants saw a three-win improvement on their Skyline mark this year, good enough to jump from their sixth-place finish in 2024 to finish in fourth and earn home court advantage in the tourney's opening round.

After a rough first month of the season that saw the team sitting at 2-12 overall, the Valiants found their footing in the second half of the calendar, winning 12 of their final 16 matches, including winning eight-straight from Mar. 5 to Mar. 23. Arguably the biggest wins came on Mar. 29 as Manhattanville outlasted Purchase and Old Westbury in five-set thrillers in tri-match action to gain the upperhand over Purchase in the standings entering the final week of the regular season.

Purchase went 17-16 overall on the year and finished with a 10-8 mark in the conference to earn their second-straight berth into the Skyline Championship. The Panthers and Valiants were waged in a tug-of-war over the No. 4 and 5 seeds over the home stretch of the regular season, but Manhattanville's two victories in the final four days of the schedule will send the Panthers down the short trip along Anderson Hill Road for Tuesday's contest.

Last Time Out
The Valiants took the advantage in the standings with Mar. 29's win, but it was Manhattanville's win over Purchase on Apr. 3 to close out the regular season that clinched the four-seed for the Vals. After a back-and-forth five-set affair in Old Westbury four days prior, the Valiants headed to Purchase College for what was expected to be another nailbiter.

The first set lived up to the hype, with Manhattanville outlasting the Panthers 26-24, but the Valiants played some of their most dominant ball of the season in the second set, cruising to a 25-12 win. Manhattanville went on to complete the sweep with a 25-22 decision in the third, setting up Round 3 on Tuesday, this time inside Kennedy Gymnasium.

Tournament History
Manhattanville is 0-1 in the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament, seeking its first postseason victory. Purchase returned to postseason play last year for the first time since 2019 as the No. 4 seed, defeating Mount Saint Vincent in four sets in the first round before falling to eventual champions Saint Joseph's Long Island in three sets in the semifinals.

Team Leaders
Manhattanville

• Kills Per Set: Simmons (2.98), Gandarillas (2.30), Gretczko (1.63)
• Assists Per Set: Moon (8.93), Gandarillas (0.32), Rapp (0.32)
• Digs Per Set: Rapp (2.42), Moon (1.73), Diamond (1.55), Gandarillas (1.55)
• Service Aces: Simmons (37), Gandarillas (29), Moon (21)
• Blocks: Simmons (41), Lau (41), Granados (35)

Purchase

• Kills Per Set: Williams (4.41), Ryan (2.57), Ruiz (1.85)
• Assists Per Set: Mercado (7.72), Ruiz (3.63), Acosta (0.36)
• Digs Per Set: Acosta (2.10), Williams (2.03), Ryan (1.95)
• Service Aces: Williams (33), Rogers (26), Phillips (25)
• Blocks: Phillips (75), Revaitis (66), Williams (65)

History

• All-Time Record vs Purchase: 3-1
• Streak: Manhattanville W2
• Series Record at Manhattanville: 1-0
• Previous Matchups (Home team listed second):
  • 4/3/25: Manhattanville 3, Purchase 0
  • 3/29/25: Purchase 2, Manhattanville 3 (Neutral Site)
  • 4/2/24: Manhattanville 1, Purchase 3
  • 4/1/24: Purchase 2, Manhattanville 3

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