NEW YORK -- Baruch won its sixth consecutive CUNYAC championship tournament and ninth overall in team history on Friday night in the ARC Arena.
Baruch hosted the day-long tournament and started its semifinal match by taking on the Bulldogs of Brooklyn. The Bearcats won 25-22, 25-20, 25-16 with Chris Kaimis leading the attack with eight kills (.333) and Brady Ambro adding seven kills in the victory on their home court.
York (N.Y.) upset Hunter for the second consecutive year in the first semifinal and that set a Baruch vs. York match to decide the title and NCAA berth.
The Cardinals surprised and took the first set 25-22. Despite the early set back, the Bearcats never lost control and won the next three sets in convincing fashion with scores of 25-22, 25-16, 25-14.
Yanni Malo was named the tournament most outstanding player with a 13-kill performance hitting .600 with two aces.
Jack McKee (12 kills) and Kaimis (11 kills) also had a big match, while Scott Standring had a solid all-around effort with 43 assists, five aces, and eight digs.
The CUNYAC championship is the eighth in the past nine years for the Bearcats as they return to the NCAA tournament.
The NCAA will announce the 10-team bracket and schedule on Monday, April 14, at 10 a.m. ET on NCAA.com.
