Juniata vs Southern Virginia NCAA Final Four Preview
Huntingdon, PA – The Juniata men's volleyball team has received a bid to the 2025 DIII NCAA Men's Volleyball Final Four in Roanoke, VA, after their victories against Wentworth and Nichols in the 2nd round and quarterfinals this past weekend.
Juniata set the program record for wins on Saturday, notching its 31st win of the season against Nichols. The Eagles also reached the NCAA Final Four for the second time in program history.
Recapping the past weekend, the Eagles faced Wentworth in the 2nd Round, sweeping the Leopards 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-23). The Eagles hit .412 as a team and never trailed by more than three points in the match. Juniata was led by Outside Hitter Juan Armando, who had 12 kills and six digs while hitting .286, and Chris Mellor, who had seven kills on seven attempts.
In the next round, the Eagles faced off with a scrappy Nichols team that upset host Stevens in the 2nd Round one day prior. Led by Tyler Goldsborough's 14 kills and Armando's 13 kills, the Eagles were able to clinch the program's 2nd Final Four bid in program history.
Next, the Eagles will face a familiar conference foe, Southern Virginia, which got the best of Juniata once in the regular season and in the CVC Championship. Southern Virginia is coming off a 33-1 season, with the lone loss coming against fellow Final Four participant Springfield on March 29th. The Knights are led by the AVCA Region III Player of the Year, Christian Sheaffer, along with All-Region Performers Samuel Candland, Justin Madsen, and Gehrig Tolman.
On the other side of the Final Four is a matchup between Springfield (24-4), which knocked off Carthage (3-2) in the Quarterfinals, and defending champions California Lutheran, which defeated undefeated and #1 seeded NYU in the Quarterfinals to reach the Final Four.
The 2025 NCAA Division III Final Four takes place in Roanoke, VA, at the Cregger Center on April 25th at 5:00 PM, with a potential Championship game taking place on Sunday, April 27th at 2:00 PM. Tickets are available at Ncaatickets.com.