HONOLULU, Hawai'i, N.J. (January 4, 2015) – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team dropped its season-opener at NCAA Division I foe Hawai'i, 3-0, on Saturday night in Honolulu.
 
Hawai'i – ranked 10th according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I preaseason poll – won by set scores of 25-19, 25-14 and 25-23.
 
Seniors Ryan Seifert and David Evans led the Ducks' offensive attack as Seifert totaled 15 kills with an attacking percentage of .357. He added a team-high 11 digs, while Evans finished with 13 kill and four digs. Senior Kevin Aeckerle tallied 30 assists and nine digs in a strong performance for the captain, with senior Dylan Schlosser pocketing nine digs for the Ducks. As a team, the Ducks finished with 40 kills and hit .228 as a team. 
 
Stevens started the first set strong, jumping out to a 9-7 lead after three-straight points on Aeckerle's serve and kills from three different players. UH (1-0) responded with seven of the set's next eight points to take a 13-10 lead, but the Ducks battled, back to take a 19-18 lead after a kill from senior Daniel Smith. Unfortunately for Stevens, that kill by Smith would the last of the set as Hawai'i closed with a 7-0 run to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
The hosts took six of the second set's first eight points to open a 6-2 margin, but the Ducks answered to get back into it with a 5-3 spurt.  The two teams traded blows and points to take the score to 17-14, however, much like the first set, Hawai'i finished strong, ending things with eight-straight tallies to seal the 25-14 second-set win.
 
In the third, Stevens jumped out to an early 4-2 edge thanks to kills from Evans, Seifert and Smith. The Rainbow Warriors answered and tied the score at five apiece, eventually turning a 10-10 tie into a 16-12 advantage on the back of a 6-2 run. Junior Alexander Carpenter and junior Chris Vaughan pocketed kills in the midst of a 4-1 run to trim the UH margin to one (16-15). Later, back-to-back kills from Seifert and Evans tied things at 19, but Hawai'i went on a 5-2 run to go on top 24-21 late in the third. Stevens did not quit, and fought within one (24-23), but it was not enough as the Ducks fell 25-23 in the third and 3-0 for the match.
 
Stevens will return to  New Jersey on January 11 and will visit Sacred Heart University – also a DI opponent – on January 17 in its next match.
 
Men's volleyball fans should look for announcements on AVCA Preseason All-America selections on Monday, and the UVC and AVCA preseason polls the following week.