Landis Helps Men's Volleyball Split A Pair Of Matches With UVC Rivals No. 11Medaille And Elmira

3/6/2011 6:45:00 PM

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (March 6, 2011) – Senior outside hitter Jonathan Landis finished with 34 kills, 10 digs, on the day as the Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team split a pair of matches with American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) No. 11 Medaille College and Elmira College at the United Volleyball Conference (UVC) Crossover weekend hosted by Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Stevens opened the day with a 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 26-24, 25-23) loss to the 11th-ranked Mavericks, before rebounding with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-16) sweep of the Soaring Eagles. With a 1-1 mark on the afternoon, the Ducks moved to 14-7 overall on the season with a 7-2 record against UVC opponents.

Freshman David Evans finished with 15 kills and eight digs on the day, while senior Timothy Karl had 16 kills, 11 blocks and five digs. Freshman Ryan Seifert added 17 kills and six digs in two matches, while senior setter Brandt Grobeis had 91 assists and 10 digs.

Stevens returns to action on Wednesday, March 9, when it travels to Mahwah, N.J. to face non-conference foe Ramapo College.

No. 11 Medaille 3, Stevens 1 (25-22, 23-25, 26-24, 25-23)
Hitting just .192, the Ducks dropped the first frame in a battle between two top-15 teams, 25-22. Stevens rebounded with a .387 attack rate in the second set, evening the match with a 25-23 victory. Despite a .371 hitting percentage in the third, Medaille answered with a hard-fought 26-24 triumph to take a 2-1 match edge before closing things out with a 25-23 win in the fourth frame.

Landis hammered home a match-high 23 kills, adding six digs and four blocks, while Karl hit .714 with 10 kills and five blocks in the loss. Seifert and Evans each tallied nine kills, with Grobeis dishing out a match-best 52 assists. Grobeis and fellow senior Aaron Ostrovsky shared the team lead in digs with seven.

Freshman Trevor Barret (Amherst, N.Y.) and junior Nick Johnson (Buffalo, N.Y.) paced the Mavericks with 17 kills each, while Barret added seven digs and two blocks. Sophomore Erin Kelly (Clifton Springs, N.Y.) finished with 14 kills and five blocks, while senior Ryan Maxwelll (Amherst, N.Y.) had 50 helpers. Senior libero Dan Jackson (Hamburg, N.Y.) collected 13 digs.

Despite getting out-blocked 18-16, Medaille finished the match with a slim .320-.308 advantage in hitting percentage.

Stevens 3, Elmira 0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-16)
Hitting .367, the Ducks took an early lead with a 25-20 victory in the first set. Hoping to build on their momentum, Stevens notched a match-best .417 attack rate in the second set, winning by an identical 25-20 score. Trying to complete the sweep, the Ducks hit .333 in the third, while holding Elmira to a -.107 attack percentage, en route to a 25-16 victory.

Landis had 11 kills, five digs and three blocks in the win, while Karl added six digs and six blocks, hitting .455. Evans chipped in with six kills, three digs, and two blocks, while Seifert tallied eight kills. Grobeis dished out 39 assists, while Ostrovsky collected seven digs.

Outside hitter Eric Sandmann (Glenville, N.Y.) had 10 kills and six digs to lead the Soaring Eagles, while Ryan Gelenitis (Brick, N.J.) added six kills. Michael Vellutato (Topanga, Calif.) had 22 assists in the loss.
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