Ramapo defeats Hunter to punch ticket to ECAC semifinals
MAHWAH, N.J. – The first round of the 2026 Division III Men’s Volleyball Championship wrapped up on Wednesday evening, with #5 Ramapo College defeating #4 Hunter College 3-2. The Hawks took the first two sets, but the Roadrunners bounced back with three straight set wins, including a 15-11 tally in the decisive fifth set.
Ramapo improves to 13-12 for the season, while Hunter drops to 17-10.
Hunter claimed the first set by a final of 25-22 before following up with a 25-21 win to take a 2-0 lead, but Ramapo refused to go quietly. The Runners stormed back with a 25-21 in the third before dominating with a 25-17 win in the fourth, forcing a fifth set for just the third time this season.
The two teams went back and forth in the fifth until a Hunter service error tied the match at 10-10. From there, however, Ramapo scored five of the next six points, earning the clinch into Friday’s semifinal match.
Ahmed Mohamed led all players with 32 kills for the night, while Jan Tracz paced Ramapo with 20 as one of three players in double-figures. Joseph Duca gave the Roadrunners 44 assists, while Tracz and Xavier Fabre combined for eight blocks.
Ramapo will take on top seed Rutgers Newark on Friday at 2:00 p.m., while #3 Penn State Behrend and #2 Baruch will meet in the second semifinal at 4:00. The championship match will follow at 6:00, with all three matches taking place at The Golden Dome on the campus of Rutgers Newark.