Third-seeded Baruch and No. 4 John Jay each won 3-0 in first-round play of the 2026 CUNY Athletic Conference Men’s Volleyball Championship, setting up Thursday semifinals that keep the title chase centered in the New York City-area college scene. Baruch visits No. 2 Hunter at 6 p.m., while John Jay travels to top-seeded New Jersey City for a 7 p.m. semifinal.
Baruch and John Jay both swept their opponents Tuesday night to move into the CUNY semifinals, extending the local postseason spotlight on New York college athletics. Defending champion Baruch overwhelmed No. 6 Lehman 25-12, 25-15, 25-21, and No. 4 John Jay downed No. 5 Brooklyn 26-24, 25-20, 25-18 at The Doghouse, advancing as the conference tournament tightens toward Thursday’s matchups.
Game Highlights
Baruch controlled the tempo against Lehman from the opening whistle, posting a .370 hitting percentage for the match while holding Lehman to .113. The Bearcats finished with 12 service aces and hustled through three efficient sets (25-12, 25-15, 25-21) to close their regular-season ledger at 13-12; Lehman ended 10-15.
John Jay’s contest with Brooklyn featured a tense first set with seven ties and several lead changes before the Bloodhounds pulled away. The team closed out with sustained pressure—35 kills and a blistering .519 hitting clip in the third set—to improve to 15-12 as Brooklyn fell to 14-8.
Standout Performances
Baruch leaned on Argjend Osmanaj’s efficient offense, as he posted 12 kills on .688 hitting and led the Bearcats with four service aces. Benjamin Nirenstein contributed seven kills on .455, while Ari Osmanaj ran the offense with 22 assists. On Lehman’s side, Almir Pepic had five kills and Nathaniel Mattie handed out nine assists.
At John Jay, Nick Fuentes paced the attack with 10 kills, supported by Adam Bainey’s eight kills on .375 hitting and Quez Martin’s five kills on .556. Setter Jimmy Thinlay posted 29 assists. Defensively, Logan Ramos totaled 19 digs, Fuentes added 17 digs, and Micah Rossman recorded 10. Brooklyn’s offense was led by Aaron Siu (11 kills) and Joaquin Calderon (eight kills); Miguel Trejo had 24 assists.
What This Means For the Teams
Baruch’s win preserves the Bearcats’ bid to defend their conference crown and sends them across town to face a tough Hunter squad in a matchup that will carry local recruiting and fan interest. John Jay’s victory keeps the Bloodhounds on a collision course with top-seeded New Jersey City, a cross-Hudson clash that will decide one finalist and spotlight New York-area college volleyball rivalries.
Why This Matters In NYC
The CUNY Athletic Conference tournament continues to showcase the depth of New York college athletics, with multiple city campuses producing high-level volleyball and local fans getting postseason games nearby. Thursday’s semifinals maintain the regional storyline—Bronx and Manhattan programs, plus cross-state foes, all vying for the conference crown.
Looking Ahead
Semifinal play begins Thursday, April 9, with Baruch at Hunter at 6 p.m. and John Jay at NJCU at 7 p.m.; winners will move on to the conference final. With evenly matched CUNY programs and strong individual performances, the final rounds promise high-stakes volleyball that matter to NYC college sports followers and the local postseason landscape.
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