Purchase, NY - For the second straight season, the University of Mount Saint Vincent's volleyball team clinched the Skyline Conference postseason, and this year had to travel to nearby Purchase College in a much-anticipated third contest between two teams that have been evenly matched up through the duration of the regular season. Despite a fantastic effort by the Dolphins, the Panthers pulled out the four set thriller to advance to the semifinal round (25-22, 27-29, 20-25, 23-25). 

The Dolphins completed their 2024 campaign with an overall record of 11-12. 

The Dolphins handled Purchase in impressive fashion in the first set, as the team went up by as many as five points midway through. The Panthers went on to cut it as close as two points at the 15-13 point mark, but kills from James Rose, Kyle Thompson, Kevin Erhand and Tristen Hood would propel the team to victory. UMSV would once again find themselves in the lead late in the second set, with the Dolphins leading 23-18 off two errors from the opposition. Purchase would rattle off five straight points to tie the game at 23 before winning 29-27. 

The Dolphins would continue to battle throughout, but the Panthers would prove to be too tough to overcome.

UMSV's graduating class went out in style. Erhand (16), Rose (14) and Thompson (10) finished in double digit kills in their final game with the Dolphins, while Felix Paulino added nine digs to go along with a pair of assists. Sophomore setter Matthew Barrancos recorded 35 assists and 10 digs, both team highs, while Rose added four service aces. 

The Dolphins close out their 2024 season overcoming a number of odds, with the future only getting brighter for the up-and-coming program.