SEASON OPENER: HORNETS SWEEP PALOMAR 3-0

The Fullerton College men's volleyball team opened the 2026 season in strong fashion Wednesday night sweeping visiting Palomar College in three hard-fought sets at home.

The Hornets fell behind early in the opening set trailing 4-1 but responded with a 4-1 run of their own to knot the score at 5–5 following a kill by Jasper Nadelson. The set turned into a back-and-forth battle with the Comets grabbing a 20-18 edge before Fullerton surged ahead 22-20 behind a kill from Curtis Lee and key blocks by Kyle Huang and Emiliano Razo. Samuel Chavez sealed the set by tapping the ball over for the final point giving FC a 25-23 win.

Every point was earned in the second set as both teams matched one another point-for-point down the stretch. Fullerton stayed composed late and once again edged out a 25-23 victory with Chavez delivering the decisive kill.

Palomar jumped out to a 15-10 lead in the third and final set, but the Hornets battled back to tie the score at 19-19 on a well-placed kill by Logan Busch. The dogfight continued as both teams went toe-to-toe, but Fullerton finally swung the momentum its way at 27-26. Busch and Nadelson combined for a strong block on the final point securing the 28-26 win and the sweep.

Busch led the Hornets with a team-high 14 kills, adding 5 digs and 2 solo blocks. Chavez followed with 9 kills, while Lee chipped in 8 kills and 5 digs. Nadelson finished with 7 kills and 3 solo blocks, and Razo led the offense dishing out 33 assists. Saman Bagheri added 7 digs on the night.

Up Next: The Hornets (1-0 overall) hit the road Friday, January 30th, for a 1:00 pm match at Grossmont College.

*Photo by Jayden Babineau