The 16th-ranked Hobart volleyball team will be back in action this weekend in the United Volleyball Conference Championship Tournament. Hobart earned the sixth seed after going 3-4 in the regular season and will take on third-seeded Vassar in the first round on Friday, April 11. First serve between the Statesmen and the Brewers is set for 7:30 p.m. in John A. Paulson Center on the campus of NYU. The winner will advance to take on second-seeded Nazareth on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Hobart (20-8, 3-4) is coming off a 3-0 sweep of Elmira in Saturday's regular-season finale, clinching a spot in the postseason for the second straight year. Sophomore Daniel Sappia was named the UVC Co-Player of the Week after leading the Statesmen with 16 kills (.424), five digs, two service aces and an assist in the win. Graduate student Andrew Kim chipped in 13 kills (.417) and 13 digs for his team-leading sixth double-double of the season.

Fans who can't make it to New York City can follow all the action with live stats and video courtesy of NYU athletics. Keep up with all of the action in the Tournament Homepage.

ABOUT THE STATESMEN:

• The Hobart volleyball team held at No. 16 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Men's Volleyball Poll. The Statesmen also rank No. 15 in this week's NPI rankings. NPI is the NCAA's new system for selecting at-large bids into the NCAA tournament.
• Earlier this week, Kim was named the UVC Co-Player of the Year and to the UVC All-Conference first team. Additionally, Sappia earned a spot on the UVC honorable mention squad.
• Kim leads the UVC and ranks third in the nation in kills per set (4.54) and second in the nation in points per set (5.38). His .364 hitting percentage ranks eighth in the conference and 27th nationally. Kim is also 16th nationally in service aces per set (0.55) and has tallied 42 aces this season.
• Sappia and sophomore Noah DeLong add 2.42 and 2.38 kills per set, respectively. The duo has combined for 50 blocks and 39 service aces this season.
• Graduate student Benjamin Lincoln and sophomore Zack Farren lead the Statesmen from the setter position, averaging 5.60 and 4.46 assists per set, respectively. Lincoln ranks seventh in the UVC in that category.
• Defensively, Hobart ranks among the conference's best. The Statesmen lead the UVC in digs per set (10.24), rank third in opposition hitting percentage (.193), and fourth in opposition kills per set (10.15). Sophomore libero Gavin Meador leads the league and ranks 20th in the nation in digs per set (2.83), while Kim is third in the conference with 2.29 digs per set.
• First-year Alain Malcolm leads Hobart at the net with 66 blocks, ranking sixth in the conference in blocks per set (0.86). Sophomore Grayson Getz and first-year Kian Kischke add depth in the middle and combine for 47 blocks.

ABOUT THE BREWERS:

• Vassar (21-5, 4-3) jumped one spot to No. 9 in this week's AVCA rankings after sweeping then No. 2 Springfield and Russel Sage last weekend. The Brewers also rank No. 9 in the weekly NPI rankings.
• Offensively, the Brewers are led by Walter Birnbaum, who ranks sixth in the UVC in kills per set (3.18) and eighth in points per set (3.69).
• Nick Villamil and Payne Lounsbery lead Vassar from the setter position, averaging 4.78 and 4.71 assists per set, respectively.
• Lounsbery has tallied a team-leading 46 service aces this season and ranks third in the conference in service aces per set (0.61).
• Defensively, Tucker Shearn leads the Brewers and ranks fourth in the UVC in digs per set (2.27). Armaan Desai has tallied a team-leading 72 blocks this season and ranks second in the conference in blocks per set (1.06).

SERIES HISTORY:

• Friday's matchup will be the third meeting in program history between the Statesmen and the Brewers. The series is tied 1-1 with both teams winning in their home gym. Hobart and Vassar have never played at a neutral site.
• Last time they met on March 8, 2025, Hobart defeated No. 7 Vassar 3-1 in Bristol Gymnasium. The win was the highest ranked win in program history for the Statesmen.
• Kim led Hobart with 15 kills (.414), nine digs, five blocks and three service aces. DeLong added 13 kills (.370), three digs and a block, while Sappia chipped in 11 kills (.129) and six digs.
• Tobias Clark (.381) and Billy Fan (.471) led the Brewers with 10 kills each. The duo added eight assists, seven digs and one block.