Three from Nichols Named AVCA All-Region I
DUDLEY, Mass. - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) has released its selections for the 2024 Division III Men's Volleyball All-Region Teams, recognizing the top individual players nationwide.
Among the honorees were three members of the Nichols College men's volleyball program: graduate outside hitter Jack Normandin, freshman libero Cade Bernardi and senior right-side Tanner Soracco.
The trio of Bison honorees came in as the third-most in Region I, with Wentworth Institute of Technology and Springfield College each receiving four.
Normandin, who recently was named the NEVC Player of the Year, has been a driving force behind the Bison offense this season, finishing ranked 2nd in both overall kills (319) and kills per set (3.63), as well as third in overall hitting percentage (.399). His outstanding performance earned him a well-deserved spot on the NEVC All-Conference First Team, as well as the highest honor of Player of the Year. He was recognized a total of four times as the NEVC's Player of the Week, as well as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. The Clifton Park, New York native was also the team leader in service aces (38) and points per set (4.35) and ranked second defensively in digs (139) and solo blocks (16).
Bernardi, who was also a recipient of major honors from NEVC as Defensive Player of the Year, adds the All-Region accolades to his standout freshman campaign. This season, the first-year libero led the team in both digs (146) and digs per set (1.70), together with a consistent .975 reception percentage. Soracco, who joined Normandin on the NEVC All-Conference First Team, completed the season with the team's second highest kills per set average (2.35), and a third-highest kills total (188). His senior season also featured multiple records, including single-match solo blocks (4), single-season solo-blocks (19), career total-attacks (1,688) and career kills (748).
Soracco is now a two-time AVCA/NVA All-East Region recipient, while Normandin and Bernardi are first-time honorees.
The Bison prepare for their first trip to the NCAA Tournament, with their first round matchup against Vassar College (23-7, 6-1 Liberty) coming up this Friday (4/19), with a time yet to be determined.
About the NEVC
The NEVC is a NCAA Division III single-sport conference sponsoring the sport of men’s volleyball. The conference is comprised of eight institutions, Bard College, Eastern Nazarene College, Endicott College, Nichols College, Northern Vermont University – Johnson, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, SUNY Potsdam and Russell Sage College.
(Story courtesy of Nichols Sports Information)