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Bard College Athletics

Ansel Waisler
Will Hernandez, Sports Information Work Study
3
Winner Hunter Hunter 8-3,1-0 CUNYAC
2
Bard BRD 5-8,0-1 NEVC
Winner
Hunter Hunter
8-3,1-0 CUNYAC
3
Final
2
Bard BRD
5-8,0-1 NEVC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Hunter Hunter 24 25 25 20 16 (3)
Bard BRD 26 19 21 25 14 (2)

Next Match:

Wilkes

2/21/2026 | 12:00 PM

Next Match

Full Schedule
Feb. 21 (Sat) / 12:00 PM
 Wilkes
History

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball | | Noah Poll, assistant sports information director

RECAP: Men’s Volleyball Topped by Hunter in Epic Five-Setter

Story Links

Gallery: (2-17-2026) Men's Volleyball vs Hunter

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. --- The Bard College men's volleyball team fell to the Hunter Hawks on Tuesday night, 26-24, 19-25, 21-25, 25-20, 14-16.

Ansel Waisler posted a team-high 18 kills plus four digs, four assists, and three blocks. Lincoln Grisso had a match-high four aces, seven kills, six digs, two blocks and an assist. Sidney Stein ended with 13 kills, six digs, a block, and an ace.

Pearse Esposito recorded a match-high 31 assists, nine kills, three blocks, three digs, and an ace. Georgi Chikolov had a good match with 12 assists, two aces and a dig in three sets. Amadeo Pinto played libero and had a career-high 16 digs.

Evan McMahon tallied four kills on .500 hitting, four digs, two assists, and a block. Zach Butler accumulated a team-high four blocks, two digs, a kill, and an assist. Gideon Jacob chipped in an ace.

The Raptors used sharp-angled attacks to gain a 5-1 advantage. Hunter responded, going on a 10-4 run that forced a Bard timeout at 11-9. The Raptors regained their composure and had the lead at 15-14, but Hunter had another run of good play that brought them to 21-17. Five straight Bard points, capped off by an emphatic block by Grisso and Stein, forced the Hawks to call a timeout at 22-21. The Bard frontline got another block to finish the set on the Raptors' third set point. 

It was a similar start in the second set, with Bard establishing a four-point lead at 6-2 and Hunter turning it around into a four-point lead after a 12-4 run at 14-10. A Bard timeout aided the Raptors, as the next 12 points were split 6-6. At 23-16 Hunter, Stein and Esposito took flight and knocked down back-to-back kills, but it wasn't enough as the Hawks finalized the set.

The Hawks had to call an early timeout in the third set as the Raptors started off hot with a 5-1 edge. Hunter responded again, this time taking a three-point lead at 9-6 and never looking back. In the fourth set, Bard led 10-6 and held off the Hawks the rest of the way. The Raptors' offense went into overdrive, slamming 17 kills to just four errors for a .406 hitting percentage. 

The deciding set was a dramatic one. There were ties at 1-1 and 3-3. Three straight Bard points made it 6-3 and Hunter called a timeout. The Hawks won three out of four points to tie it again at 7-7. The match hung in the balance as the score ticked up for both teams: 8-8, 9-9, 10-10, 11-11, 12-12. With back-to-back scores, all of a sudden, the Hawks had a 14-12 lead and double match point. After talking it over, Bard knotted it up at 14-14, forced another timeout, and came back from the brink of defeat. At 15-14 Hunter, a third match point was one too many to save, as a Hawk attack snuck through to clip the line.

Bard hosts Wilkes and Mt. Aloysius for an alumni day tri-match on Saturday starting at noon.
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Players Mentioned

Georgi Chikolov

#7 Georgi Chikolov

S
5' 11"
Senior
Pearse Esposito

#16 Pearse Esposito

S/OPP
6' 1"
Sophomore
Lincoln Grisso

#8 Lincoln Grisso

MB
6' 3"
Junior
Gideon Jacob

#11 Gideon Jacob

S
5' 6"
Sophomore
Sidney Stein

#10 Sidney Stein

OH
6' 2"
Sophomore
Ansel Waisler

#2 Ansel Waisler

OH
6' 4"
Sophomore
Zach Butler

#22 Zach Butler

MB
6' 3"
First Year
Evan McMahon

#18 Evan McMahon

OH/OPP
5' 11"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Georgi Chikolov

#7 Georgi Chikolov

5' 11"
Senior
S
Pearse Esposito

#16 Pearse Esposito

6' 1"
Sophomore
S/OPP
Lincoln Grisso

#8 Lincoln Grisso

6' 3"
Junior
MB
Gideon Jacob

#11 Gideon Jacob

5' 6"
Sophomore
S
Sidney Stein

#10 Sidney Stein

6' 2"
Sophomore
OH
Ansel Waisler

#2 Ansel Waisler

6' 4"
Sophomore
OH
Zach Butler

#22 Zach Butler

6' 3"
First Year
MB
Evan McMahon

#18 Evan McMahon

5' 11"
Graduate Student
OH/OPP