HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 17, 2015) – The No. 1 Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team will welcome No.3 ranked SUNY New Paltz to Canavan Arena Wednesday night.
 
Free beanie hats will be distributed to all fans while supplies last. All fans who attend the game wearing Hawaiian attire will receive a coupon for free french fries, compliments of Johnny Rockets. Additionally, between sets 2 and 3 of the match, there will be a hula dancing contest with receiving a prize courtesy of the athletic department.
 
After knocking off then No.1 Juniata and No.8 Rivier at the Clash at Kean two weeks ago, the Ducks opened their United Volleyball Conference up with two wins. "We have to keep up the level of play," junior outside hitter Tim Ferriter said. "We're a deep and competitive team, and we need to keep using that to our advantage."  After dispatching Bard College in straight sets, Stevens then knocked off No. 7 Nazareth College in four sets, while improving to 8-3 overall. Within Division III competition, the Ducks are a perfect 8-0, and have won 20 of their last 21 sets. Against the Golden Flyers, Ferriter and senior David Evans each hammered home 15 kills, while senior Ryan Seifert put up a double-double, recording 10 kills and 10 digs.
 
SUNY New Paltz is also coming off a perfect weekend in UVC play, knocking off Penn State-Behrend and No.12 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Against the Engineers, freshman Anthony Bonilla recorded nine kills, while senior setter John Lutjen recorded eight kills and 19 assists. The Hawks come into Wednesday night with a 6-1 record, with their only loss coming to Division I Sacred Heart.
 
This game is especially meaningful to Ferriter, who played with the Hawks the previous two seasons before transferring to Stevens this fall. While with SUNY New Paltz, he was twice named AVCA First-Team All-American. During the 2013 campaign, he was named AVCA Division III Newcomer of the Year, UVC Rookie of the Year, and was named first-team All-UVC. This season, he ranks third on the Ducks with 74, including a whopping 25 against NJIT on February 10^th. He is also second on the team with 10 service aces, and third on the team with 38 digs, with 11 of them coming against Sacred Heart on January 17^th.
 
 "It's definitely a big deal," said Ferriter. "Both teams match up well against each other. But at the end of the day, it's just a game."
 
Seifert and Evans lead the Stevens in kills, with 93 and 88 respectively. Senior libero Dylan Schlosser leads the team in digs with 71, and setters John Eddins and Kevin Aeckerle have dished out 214 and 172 assists apiece. For the Hawks, Bonilla and junior middle Christopher Husmann lead the team in kills, with 84 and 62. Junior Christian Smith and Lutjen have shared setting duties, each registering over 120 assists each.
 
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