Men's Volleyball Falls to Finger Lakes in National Championship Final, Finishes 2nd in Nation

Toms River, NJ - OCC Men's Volleyball's fantastic 2026 season came to a close on Saturday (4/26), when the Vikings lost to Finger Lakes CC, 3-1, in the final round of the NJCAA Championship tournament, hosted by College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL. The Vikings had won 12 consecutive matches on their path to the final, capturing the Garden State Athletic Conference and Region 19 Championships along the way before their meeting with the Lakers, who had amassed a 22-4 record and won two of NJCAA Men's Volleyball's three invitational championships ahead of this season's inaugural national title. 

The Vikings were in a positive state of mind ahead of the final, with OCC Head Coach Jose Rafael remarking, "At this point we've got nothing to lose. We've got all the momentum, and the guys are just having fun and giving their best." Ocean's All-Region 19 Team triumverate of Jimmy Baxes (Forked River, NJ/Lacey Township H.S.), Abran Arrojo (Forked River, NJ/Lacey Township H.S.), and Danny Brunke (Little Egg Harbor, NJ/Pinelands Regional H.S.) brought their considerable talent to the match, with Arrojo contributing a team-leading 11 points and 10 kills, Baxes 10 digs, 8 points, and 8 kills, and Brunke a team-best 29 assists. Ocean freshman Giedruis Makselis (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) was also potent on offense, contributing 10.5 points and 8 kills in the loss.

The Vikings finish their 2026 season with a regular/postseason record of 16-4, ranked 2nd in the nation, while counterparts Union College of NJ and Atlantic Cape CC finished 5th and 6th nationally, an extremely strong showing for Region 19 in the national D-III men's volleyball landscape.

Photo: Juan Donez