HOBOKEN, N.J. (April 3, 2014) – In the latest NCAA Division III Statistical Rankings, the Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball squad appears numerous times throughout the team and individual rankings.

Stevens (17-7), ranked seventh nationally by the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 15 poll, has won five consecutive matches and wraps up its regular season this weekend at the Springfield College Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The Ducks open with No. 2 Springfield at 5 p.m. tomorrow and then take on Marymount University at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Stevens and ninth ranked Medaille College battle at 11 a.m. with the final match taking place at 3 p.m. against Endicott College.

In the team rankings, which are compiled from all 66 Division III institutions, the Ducks are second nationally in assists per set at 11.95. Only UVC foe and No. 3 SUNY New Paltz ranks ahead of Stevens with 12.21 assists per set.

Stevens also sits third overall in blocks per set (2.57) and kills per set (12.60), while the Ducks appear seventh nationally in digs per set at 11.13. With a .260 hitting percentage, Stevens holds the 11th spot, and with a .708 winning percentage, the Ducks are 15th nationally.

Individually, six Ducks rank within the top 40 on 10 different occasions over six categories. Individual statistics rank the top 100 players in the country.

Junior Daniel Smith (Tucson, Ariz.) leads the way for Stevens in sixth overall in hitting percentage at .399. Sophomore Chris Vaughan (Medford, N.J.) also appears as one of the top players in attack percentage at a .329 clip, which is 25th nationally.

Junior Kevin Aeckerle (Henrietta, N.Y.) and sophomore Alexander Carpenter (Delaware, Ohio) both respectively rank ninth in the country in assists per set and blocks per set. Aeckerle dishes out, on average, 9.88 assists per game, while Carpenter tallies 1.12 blocks per set. Also on the blocks per set list is Smith in 12th at 1.07.

Another junior, Dylan Schlosser (Emmaus, Pa.), averages 2.46 digs per set which is good for 25th in DIII.

Vaughan and freshman Gabe Shankweiler (Allentown, Pa.) are among the nation's elite in kills per set and points per set. Vaughan is 34th in kills per set at 3.37 and 36th in points per set with 3.92, while Shankweiler is 27th overall in kills per set (3.51) and 31st in points per set (4.01).

After this weekend's tournament at Springfield, the Ducks will prepare for the United Volleyball Conference Championship on April 12 and 13, which will be held at Nazareth College. Stevens is the sixth seed in the eight-team field and plays No. 3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the first round.

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