HOBOKEN, N.J. (January 16, 2020) – After advancing to the NCAA Semifinals for the fifth consecutive year in 2019, the Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team returns a wealth of talent to the squad in 2020 and is looking to make another run at a title as they transition into the Middle Atlantic Conference.

The Ducks, who were ranked third in the National Volleyball Association/American Volleyball Coaches Association Preseason Poll, return four players who played in at least 90 sets last season and will be looking to win their first NCAA National Title since 2015.

Leading the charge for Stevens will be three-time AVCA All-American senior David Lehman who will be looking to become the first player in program history to be named an AVCA All-American four times in his career while spending all four years on Castle Point. Stevens Alumnus Tim Ferriter was a four-time AVCA All-American but spent his first two seasons at SUNY New Paltz.

Stevens also brings back 2019 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American junior Jack Bittker, Second Team All-United Volleyball Conference selection junior Ryan Byrne and Honorable Mention All-UVC selection senior Jonathan Frenzel, all of which finished with at least 140 kills last season.

Additionally, the Ducks will return senior setter Grant Burden who finished last season with a team-high 743 assists and ranked second in the UVC with 10.2 assists per set.

With their run to the Final Four in 2019, Stevens joined SUNY New Paltz and Springfield College as one of only three programs to advance to the NCAA semifinal round in each of the last five seasons.

The Ducks open their 2020 season Friday night against No. 13 Elms College at 7:30 p.m. in Union, New Jersey as a part of The Clash at Kean.

Veteran Presence

• The 2020 men's volleyball team will feature a total of six seniors along with a pair of juniors.
• Lehman, the 2019 UVC Player of the Year, finished last season ranked eighth in the country with 4.10 kills per set and seventh in the nation with 418 total kills.
• Frenzel and Burden, meanwhile, returns for their fourth seasons with the Ducks after both appearing in at least 27 matches last year. Frenzel registered 147 total kills to go along with team-high .416 attack percentage while Burden took over the starting setter position halfway through the season and produced at least 24 assists in each of the last six contests to be named to the UVC All-Tournament team.
• Seniors Michael Snajder, Kyle Warnock and Andrew Amerman are all poised to take big steps in 2020 as well. Snajder looks to take over a starting libero spot this season after seeing action in 25 matches last year. Warnock, meanwhile, finished fourth on the team with 2.03 kills per set. Amerman, the 2019 Elite 90 DIII Men's Volleyball Award winner, hit .355 on the season across eight matches played.
• Juniors Bittker and Byrne will be returning after both being named Second Team All-UVC selections in 2019. The pair finished second and third, respectively, on the team in kills per set and total digs last season.

Young Talent

• In addition to the eight upperclassmen, Stevens also has five sophomores and six freshmen on the squad for 2020.
• Sophomore Jack Fyda, who was the lone player to appear in over 30 matches last season, is back on the court after leading the team with 36 service aces in 2019.
• Fellow sophomores Stedman van Arsdale and Alexei Nikiforov also return after solid freshman campaigns. van Arsdale hit .388 overall last season with 1.03 kills per set while Nikiforov produced 16 service aces in just 25 total sets played on the year.
• Additionally, the Ducks bring back sophomores Zachary Evans and Daniel Perun for their second seasons on Castle Point. The pair combined to appear in 15 matches last season and Evans hit .323 on the season.
• The freshmen on the team for 2020 are Percy Bickford, Owen Dawson, Connor Feulner, Alex Franke, Nathan Lancia, Louden Moran and Chris Varseveld.

Time for some MACtion

• After spending the last nine seasons as a member of the UVC, the Ducks will transition into the MAC for the 2020 season.
• Stevens will play two contests (one home, one away) against schools in the MAC Freedom (Eastern University, King's College, Misericordia University and Wilkes University).
• Additionally, the Ducks will play one contest against teams from the MAC Commonwealth (Alvernia University, Arcadia University, Messiah University, Stevenson University and Widener University).
• MAC men's volleyball is in just its third year of existence with Arcadia winning the conference title over Stevenson in 2019 and Stevenson besting Arcadia in 2018.
• Both Arcadia (No. 10) and Stevenson (No. 14) were ranked in the NVA/AVCA Preseason Poll
• The Ducks were selected to win the conference in the preseason coaches' poll, garnering nine first place votes.

The Rest of the Story

• The 2020 schedule will challenge Stevens from the start, as the Ducks take on No. 12 Elms College in their season opener as a part of the Clash at Kean Friday and Saturday.
• In total, Stevens will take on nine teams ranked in the NVA/AVCA Preseason Top-15 including No. 1 and reigning national champion SUNY-New Paltz.
• The Ducks will also take on the team who knocked them out of the 2019 NCAA semifinals, No. 8 University of California, Santa Cruz on Jan. 25 as a part of the JWU Quad.
• From Feb. 15 to Feb. 28, Stevens will play eight consecutive matches against teams either inside the preseason top-15 or receiving votes in the poll.
• In addition to the nine ranked matchups, the Ducks will also face off with five other teams who were receiving votes in the preseason poll.
• Stevens will play just one of those ranked teams at home on Feb. 19 when they take on No. 10 Arcadia.

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