GLEN ELLYN, Ill. – The Monroe University – Bronx men's volleyball team will compete in the opening match of the inaugural NJCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Tournament on Thursday morning. The #8-seed Express will battle top-seed and nationally ranked No. 1 College of DuPage in the quarterfinal round of the NJCAA Postseason at The Physical Education Center Arena (on the campus of College of DuPage). First serve is set for 11 a.m. EDT/10 a.m. CDT.

Fans can follow the action via live video (for a fee) and live stats (free of charge). The links for both can be found at www.MonroeExpress.com/Coverage. The full bracket can be seen here.

The Express (17-13) defeated multiple nationally ranked teams this year which earned them an at-large bid into the upcoming inaugural NJCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Tournament. Monroe - Bronx defeated nationally ranked No. 5 Union County College of New Jersey in straight sets on January 30 and won against No. 9 Monroe University – New Rochelle, 3-1, on March 21. The Express also earned an impressive five-set road win over fellow 2026 NJCAA Tournament at-large-bid honoree Borough of Manhattan Community College on February 21.

The Chaparrals are  27-2 overall and undefeated against NJCAA teams so far in 2026. DuPage defeated the two non-NJCAA teams they lost to (Aurora University and Judson University) at different points of the year so the Chaps defeated every opponent they faced this season at least once. DuPage defeated Bryant & Stratton College – Wisconsin in straight sets on April 8 to capture the inaugural Great Lakes District Championship and automatic bid into the NJCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Tournament.

This year, DuPage won both head-to-head meetings in straight sets over Monroe - Bronx (January 30 and March 28).

Leading the way for the Express this season has been Darren Lopez who earned a spot on the All-Region first team, his second straight All-Region honor. He produced double figures in kills 11 times this season and notched 10 digs in a match three times in 2026. The sophomore standout was named the Region 15 Athlete of the Month for February and then received Region 15 Athlete of the Month Honorable Mention recognition for March. His 2.64 kills per set ranked him No. 3 in Region 15.

For the Chaps, Danny Overlin slammed 16 kills in the Great Lakes Championship Match. 

For updates regarding Monroe – Bronx's run in the NJCAA Championship Tournament, check out www.MonroeExpress.com as well as our social media channels.

ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE UNIVERSITY
The athletic program at Monroe University encompasses a total of 31 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, the Monroe University marching band, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has seven teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.

For more information about the Monroe Express, please visit us at www.MonroeExpress.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Express), Twitter/X (@MonroeExpress), Instagram (@MonroeExpress), and Threads (@MonroeExpress).