The Lehman College men's volleyball team opened the 2026 season on Tuesday at Purchase College, falling in straight sets to Elms College (25-17, 25-22, 25-16) before battling in a five-set loss to the host Purchase Panthers (22-25, 16-25, 25-22, 25-20, 15-6).

In the opening match against Elms, the Lightning showed strong individual performances despite the three-set defeat. Jordan Johnson led Lehman offensively, finishing with a team-high nine kills. Nathaniel Matthie and Alain Abreu Esteva added four kills apiece, while setter John Zerafa directed the offense with 21 assists and six digs. Defensively, Levi Rosario anchored the back row with a match-high 12 digs all together as Lehman extended rallies and competed throughout each set.

Lehman in the second match against Purchase, pushed the Panthers to five sets in a tight battle. The Lightning claimed the first two sets with strong attacks and solid serving, but Purchase rallied to take the final three sets. Johnson once again paced Lehman with 12 kills, four block assists. Matthie followed with eight kills and 14 digs, while Abdoulaye Kante contributed seven kills and a block. Zerafa recorded 32 assists and four service aces, helping Lehman finish with 40 total kills in the match. Rosario and Abreu Esteva led the defensive effort with 10 and 18 digs, respectively.

The Lightning continue their season in New Jersey on Friday (January 16) when they take on Ramapo College at 6 pm ET.