Despite spring break, Baruch College Bearcats athletics have been in full swing, including men’s volleyball winning the CUNY Athletic Conference championship.

Men’s volleyball

The men’s volleyball team finished the season 12-2 in the CUNYAC, winning a third straight CUNYAC championship following a 3-1 win against the No. 1 seed Hunter College Hawks.

The Bearcats started off the tournament with a 3-0 sweep against the John Jay College Bloodhounds.

Due to the Bearcats’ high seeding, their next game was in the CUNYAC final against the Hawks.

The first set of the game saw the Hawks win 25-20. It was a worrisome sight, given that the Hawks were the No. 1 seed and gave the Bearcats their only two CUNYAC losses.

But the Bearcats picked it up for the remainder of the game, winning 27-25, 25-19 and 25-19 in their next three sets to clinch the team’s third straight championship.

Jack Centeno earned his second straight championship MVP award for his performance. He recorded 12 kills, 10 digs and three blocks to help lead the Bearcats to the win.

Haoxin Hu led the team with 15 kills, while Ryan Oommen posted 26 assists. Jonathan Liao contributed 13 digs,  Akil Vaughn recorded six blocks and Defeng Han nailed two aces to propel the Bearcats to victory.

For their performances throughout the playoffs, Centeno, Oommen and Han were named to the 2023 CUNYAC Men’s Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team.

The Bearcats begin their quest for the NCAA Division III championship on April 21, when the team plays the Vassar College Brewers in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Men’s tennis

The men’s tennis team has continued dominating its CUNYAC matchups, putting the team in position to win its fifth straight championship, excluding 2020 and 2021, when the seasons were cancelled due to lockdowns.

The men led a resounding 9-0 sweep of the Bloodhounds on March 28, with nearly every Bearcat player sweeping their matchups.

The Bearcats continued their dominance on March 31 against the York College Cardinals. Across all nine matchups, three doubles matches and six singles matches, the Cardinals lost every set.

The Bearcats swept the Hawks 9-0 the next day, albeit by closer margins. The Bearcats won the No. 3 doubles match by a tight 8-6 margin.

The Bearcats continued the momentum on April 4 against the Brooklyn College Bulldogs, where the team won 8-1. The team’s sole loss came in the No. 6 singles match.

The men played their final CUNYAC matchup before the playoffs on April 7, sweeping the Lehman College Lightning 9-0.

The Bearcats will play one last matchup, a non-CUNYAC match, against the Pratt Institute Cannoneers, on April 21 before kicking off the CUNYAC playoffs on April 23. The team’s opponent is yet to be determined.

Baseball

After starting the season with many non-CUNYAC losses, the Bearcats have picked up in their play against CUNYAC opponents, posting a 5-1 record in the conference.

The team played its first CUNYAC matchup on April 2 in a doubleheader versus the City College Beavers. The Bearcats won the first half of the matchup 15-1, but fell in the second half, losing 16-5 for the team’s only CUNYAC loss thus far.

The Bearcats continued on to rout the Bloodhounds in a doubleheader on April 8.

The men won the first half of the doubleheader 14-3 and continued their excellent play in the second half, winning 16-2.

The team played the Lightning on April 15 for its third CUNYAC matchup of the season, handling them in similar fashion.

The Bearcats won the first half of the doubleheader 16-3 and took the second half 10-2.

Softball

Bearcats softball has played excellently in the CUNYAC thus far as well, routing the Cardinals and Lightning over the past week.

The Bearcats matched up with the Cardinals for an April 10 doubleheader in a show of pure dominance. The Bearcats took both the first half by an astounding 19-0 and the second half 23-3.

The team continued its momentum on April 15, where it defeated the Lightning in a doubleheader on Bearcats Appreciation Day.

The women won the first half 9-0 and the second half 11-2 in lopsided victories against the Lightning.

The Bearcats play again on April 22, where they matchup against the Hawks.