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Posted: Jun 04, 2025

DuPage wins 2025 NJCAA Men's Volleyball Invitational, Bryant & Stratton takes fifth

(Image courtesy of NJCAA)
(Image courtesy of NJCAA)

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. - The College of DuPage men's volleyball program has been building for this moment since starting in the 2022-23 season, and after national finishes of fourth in 2023 and third in 2024, the Chaparrals broke through and won the 2025 NJCAA Men's Volleyball Invitational Championship on April 6. Top-seeded DuPage nearly swept their way to the top, dropping just one set over four matches to finish atop the ten-team field with a 3-1 (25-13, 21-25, 25-13, 25-22) over #2-seed Nassau Community College in the title match. Bryant & Stratton College was the tournament's #5 seed and finished fifth overall. Second year middle blocker Justus Barbel was named the Invitational Most Valuable Player, while Tolis Koskinaris received the Coach of the Tournament award. (Recap: DuPage | NJCAA | Awards)

 The Chaps received a first-round bye as the tournament's #1 seed, and began play with a second round match against #9 Passaic County Community College, earning a 3-0 sweep with scores of 25-13, 25-7, 25-12. The Bobcats also had a bye into the second round, where they went the distance to get past #4-seed Finger Lakes Community College with a 3-2 decision thanks to a service error on match point in the fifth set of a 21-225, 25-22, 31-29, 6-25, 15-13. Those two wins set up a quarterfinal tussle between the two Region 4 foes. The College of DuPage had won the previous three meetings by a 9-1 differential during the regular season, and kept that trend going with a 25-16, 25-19, 26-24 sweep.

The loss dropped the Bobcats into an elimination game against Nassau, which they lost 3-0. Bryant & Stratton College did rebound to win a five-setter in a reverse sweep over #7-seed Northampton Community College by scores of 24-26, 23-25, 25-16, 25-18, 15-9 to claim the fifth place match.

Two wins away from the program's first national title, COD rolled through #6-seed Union College in straight sets 27-25, 25-11, 25-18 to set up the championship with Nassau. After winning the opening set 25-13, the Chaps dropped the second set 25-21, but rebounded with sets wins of 25-13 and 25-22 to claim a 3-1 victory and the crown. Barbel finished the tournament with 34 kills and 27 digs, while Koskinaris adds a men's national title to his NJCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship in 2022. The Chaparrals finished the year 24-2.

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