BRYN ATHYN, Pa. – The 2nd Annual Lions Fall Classic Men's Volleyball Tournament was held on Saturday, September 21 at the Asplundh Field House on the campus of host Bryn Athyn College.

Pool play matches were single sets to 30 points. The teams were then seeded from those results into either gold or silver divisions for playoffs.

Pool A saw Cairn finish with a 3-0 record and seal 1st place, while Valley Forge edged out Bryn Athyn in a close 30-27 match to reach 2-1 and capture 2nd place. Bryn Athyn, who also lost by three to Cairn, defeated Gallaudet to go 1-2 in pool play, while Gallaudet fell to 0-3 on the day.

Purchase College was able to go 3-0 in Pool B, while Neumann finished 2-1. Both teams advanced to the gold division playoffs. Saint Elizabeth finished with a 1-2 record by defeating Penn State Schuylkill, who finished with an 0-3 record.

The semifinals of both the gold and silver divisions were single sets to 25 points, and it made for some exciting matches.

Cairn took an undefeated record into their match against Neumann, but it was the Knights who outlasted the Highlanders 25-20 and advanced to the finals. Purchase and Valley Forge, the previous Lions Fall Classic Champion, squared off in a great back-and-forth match. Purchase took the close victory 25-23 and earned their spot in the gold finals.

In the gold finals, Neumann and Purchase battled out a best-of-three match. In the end, it would be the Purchase Panthers taking the 2024 Lions Fall Classic crown 25-19, 25-21 with straight set wins.

The silver division saw Bryn Athyn defeat Penn State Schuylkill 25-17 to advance to the finals, while Saint Elizabeth fought off a late surge from Gallaudet to earn their spot in the championship round. Bryn Athyn utilized a mixed attack and strong serving from their young roster to edge out Saint Elizabeth in tight sets, winning the division 25-23, 26-24 as host of the tournament.

Gold Division Finals: Purchase over Neuman (2-0)

Silver Division Finals: Bryn Athyn over Saint Elizabeth (2-0)

"Today was a huge win for our program," said Jason Barshinger, head coach of the Bryn Athyn Lions. "For us to put together this event, see all the teams enjoy great competition throughout the day, and gain experience as a young roster as well, I'm leaving the day optimistic about our team and the tournament."

The Lions will have a young roster in the upcoming 2025 season. Bryn Athyn had 14 players at the tournament, with 12 of them being either freshmen or sophomores.

"We made some youthful mistakes," said Barshinger. "There was a lot of aggressive play in our swing and serving. I know we can be powerful in those areas, but we will really be difficult to play once we learn the importance of the mental side. I'm very excited to see this group as they grow together."

"Even though we didn't exactly get the result we wanted, the games really showed us the potential that this team has," said Adan Rodriguez-Sapien, the Lions libero who finished fifth in the nation in digs per set last season as a freshman. "With this freshman class and our returners, I'm really excited to see what we can do when we're actually in season."

Rodriguez-Sapien commented on being a member of the host team at the tournament. "It was really cool to see so many teams interested in getting together from so many areas."

The Lions will begin play in early 2025 when they travel to New York and face Lehman College and Pratt Institute for a tri-match in the Bronx on Saturday, January 25. They return to the Asplundh Field House on Wednesday, January 29 for the home opener against the University of Valley Forge.

As for the 2025 Lions Fall Classic, Barshinger feels assured after the event from this past weekend. "Let's try to make it even bigger and better. I think we have something special here, and I'm looking forward to hosting it again next fall."

The 2024 Lions Fall Classic apparel store can be accessed at the following link: https://www.bonfire.com/2024-lions-fall-classic/