HOBOKEN, N.J. (April 15, 2022) – The No. 4 ranked Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team swept Endicott 3-0 (28-26, 25-13, 25-20) in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Canavan Arena, Friday, April 15. First-year Koby Sherman led the charge with 13 kills in the victory and he was followed closely behind by junior Connor Feulner with eight kills and junior Percy Bickford with six.
 
"Tonight, we saw a great fight out of Endicott and I am proud our group was able to weather the storm they brought. Our focus, execution and composure were excellent," said head coach Dan Buehring. "I admire our guys for all their effort, preparation and sacrifices to put the team first. This is a fun ride and we will be working hard to keep this going as far and long as possible."
 
It was the eighth NCAA appearance for each team and the second time the two sides have met in NCAA tournament play. The Ducks defeated Endicott 3-1 in the first round of the tournament in 2017.
 
The Gulls were led by junior Nikolas Kasprzak who had 11 kills and senior Rafa Robert who finished the game with eight. Sophomore Gavin Emenaker finished the night with 28 assists to lead Endicott.
 
The first set was highly competitive and both sides went back and forth to start the game. The match was tied 15-15 and then Stevens went on a 6-1 run to take a 21-16 lead, but the Gulls came roaring back with a 6-1 run of their own and tied the game 22-22. Feulner helped close out the set for the Ducks, scoring two of the final for points and scoring the winning point on a service ace to give Stevens the early 1-0 advantage.
 
The Ducks dominated the second set. They jumped out to an early 13-4 lead and never looked back. They ended the set on a 5-0 run. Kills from Bickford and graduate student Jack Fyda helped close out the second set for Stevens and extend their lead to 2-0.
 
The Gulls put up a fight in the final set. There were four lead changes early in the action and the score was tied 14-14 at the midway point. The Ducks then went on a 7-2 run to take a commanding 21-16 advantage. Endicott continued to scrap, but Stevens proved to be too much and the match ended on a kill from junior Nathan Lancia.
 
Junior Louden Moran led the Ducks with 30 assists and he also contributed four blocks and four digs. Sophomore Pho-Quy Ho led the team with five digs and Fuelner led the team in blocks with seven.
 
Up Next: The win secured Stevens a spot in an NCAA quarterfinal matchup with St. Joseph's College-Long Island tomorrow at 6 p.m. in Canavan Arena. The winner will advance to the final four next weekend hosted by Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis.