Rivier men's volleyball players celebate after their emotional four-set win over Eastern Nazarene at tthe Muldoon Center on Tuesday night. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – It was simply a night they refused to lose.

There was no way the Rivier University men’s volleyball team was going to let any victory slip away Tuesday vs. Eastern Nazarene, not when they were playing for their former longtime coach, Craig Kolek.

“Absolutely not,” Rivier senior Isaac Borges said after the Raiders’ four-set non conference win over Eastern Nazarene. “This was a game that meant a lot to us and there’s no way we were going to drop it.”

The Raiders captured the first set 25-20, took a step back 23-25 in the second, but then took control with 25-21, 25-17 wins in the next two to improve to 9-10 on the year overall (they’re 4-1 in the GNAC).

Kolek, despite his 27 years on the job, over 1,000 wins men’s and women’s programs combined, and Hall of Fame status was abruptly fired last week over what sources said was an expense report issue from his team’s trip to compete in a California tournament. Sources also maintain, though, that an internal dispute with a high ranking administrator could have also led to the dismissal.

The decision caused an uproar across the men’s and women’s volleyball alumni, and the players in protest wore jerseys that had only their uniform numbers and no Rivier logos. They have said they will continue to do that for the remainder of the season, as long as they meet NCAA requirements. The uniforms were donated by alums, many of whom were in attendance at a packed Muldoon, about 400 people.

“It was amazing, just showed us how much they really support and care,” Borges, who had 10 kills, said. “We loved them coming out today, meant so much to us.

“I think this was a really big night for everybody. To show Coach what we can do, even if he’s not here. All the work that he’s done to get us to this spot. Just shows how great of a coach he really is.”

The Raiders were amped up, to be sure.

“We were at the gym an hour and a half early, before the warmups even started,” Borges said. “We were warming up 90 minutes before.”

“When I came on to the court, before anybody was here, I really felt it, deep,” Raider senior Neil Rea said. “To see the support from the alumni here, it shows just how much bigger this is than a program or a university. This is a real family. … I’ve never seen the gym this packed in the four years I’ve been here. Man, I thought I was playing for the national championship.”

The Raiders got off to a fast start, leading the entire first set before a slow start in the second set hurt them. In the third, they were clinging to a 19-18 lead before pulling away. Then a 9-3 start in the clinching fourth set basically got the job done. Ly Sokunbuth had 12 kills to lead the Raiders, while Chris Lezon added nine and Rea had 40 assists. Alejandro Garcia Fernandez led the Lions (12-5 overall) with 21 kills and was a constant thorn in the Raiders’ side until they clinched.

Rivier’s Ryan Peace fires a hit that Eastern Nazarene’s Aaron Huang (6) and Matthew Mucha try to block during Tuesday night’s non-conference match at the Muldoon Center. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

“It was a huge emotional game for us,” Borges said. “We came out really high. Had a little bit of a drop in that second set, but fought back. I was proud of the team for how we played tonight.”

“I was just trying to focus on the game,” Rea said. “I knew there was a lot more at play outside the game, and I just wanted to focus on putting together three winnable sets and getting the victory, you know what I mean?”

The hurdle of their first game without their longtime mentor cleared – assistant Peter Pray is the interim coach – the Raiders now move on to the remainder of their season, which continues with a GNAC match at home Thursday vs. Regis right through the conference tournament the second week in April.

“It’s going to be difficult,” Rea said. “But we’re to work, we’re going to stay together and play for each other, just like we did tonight, you know? Without coach on the bench, it was definitely difficult, and it’s going to be the rest of the season. But we’re family, we’re going to come together every game from now until the end of the season and playoffs.”

The chair former Rivier men’s volleyball coach Craig Kolek would usually sit on remained empty on Tuesday night save for his shirt and hat, in his honor. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

The Raiders left Kolek’s chair empty, save for his shirt and his cap that he always wears. And when everyone came off the floor, they got a fist bump, as he always does.

“That,” Borges said, “was for Coach.”

“It’s a lot to grasp,” Rea said. “I’m still grasping it.”

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