BOSTON, Massachusetts - The American International College men's volleyball team came up short in two close matches to open 2026, dropping an 18-25, 25-16, 24-26, 23-25 bout against Nichols College and an 18-25, 21-25, 25-21, 21-25 decision against the Wentworth Institution of Technology on Saturday, January 17.

AIC starts the season 0-2.

Against the Bison, AIC's offense was slow to start, hitting -.083 in the first set. However, the Yellow Jackets came alive in the second, hitting .545 to pull even. The attack was all around, but Willie Lopez Morales led the way with four kills on five swings; Emil Zhmaidziak and Armani Anderson each added three kills as well.

The third set went down to the wire, with AIC trailing 24-22 before tying the contest thanks in part to a Dymittry Terra ace. However, two AIC errors gave the Bison the set and the 2-1 lead. In the fourth, AIC again faced defeat and held it off, with three straight blocks; the first two were by Terra and Jamilson Almeida, and the third was a solo block by Armani Anderson. However, the fourth time was the charm for the Bison, who put the set and the match away by the barest of margins.

As they had against Nichols, AIC came out a bit slow against Wentworth, and the Leopards made quick work of winning the first set, with just one attack error. The second set was much more tight, as AIC was within one at 22-21 after a Robert Santana kill. However, the Leopards were able to finish off the win for the 2-0 lead.

Against the wall, AIC responded, with a run late in the set pushing the Yellow Jackets into the lead. Terra and Zhmaidziak ended the set with an exclamation point, scoring set point on a combo block to force a fourth. However, the Leoparts rebounded, and were able to secure the win.

Zhmaidziak led AIC with 21 kills between the two matches, with Lopez Morales right behind at 19 kills. Aidan Miller dished out 55 total assists, and Fabian Lugo was fabulous defensively, with 23 total digs and a perfect 44-for-44 reception total.

AIC heads back to eastern Massachusetts on Wednesday, January 21 for a tilt at Lasell University. That match is a 7:00 p.m. first serve.