GLENSIDE, Pa. (April 2, 2022) – No. 4 Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball rallied to defeat No. 14 Messiah University in five sets to secure the Middle Atlantic Conference regular-season title and the top seed in the league's postseason tournament Saturday in a tri-match hosted by Arcadia University at its Alumni Gymnasium.

In a showdown of conference unbeatens, the Ducks defeated the Falcons 3-2 (20-25, 29-27, 27-29, 25-20, 15-11) to secure their first MAC regular-season title and will host a semifinal matchup in Canavan Arena Wednesday evening. Stevens swept Arcadia (25-23, 25-16, 25-11) in the opening game of the day and finished play 26-3 on the year and a perfect 13-0 in league play. The Ducks enter the postseason on a 15-game winning streak, the longest for the program since the historic 205 season, when the Ducks won a program-record 22 straight in winning the national championship.

"I am totally floored with the resilience, grit and composure both teams showed today," head coach Dan Buehring said. "Messiah played an incredibly sharp game against our group; caps off to them. The level of play on both sides was very high and this was surely one of the most memorable matches I have ever been a part of. I am just so proud of our team's effort and perseverance, given the pressure Messiah brought to today's competition."
 
The five-set win over the Falcons was a battle. The Ducks came back from down 2-1 to earn the victory and secure the first seed in the upcoming MAC tournament. First-year Kolby Sherman led the way with 17 kills. Junior Connor Feulner stacked the scoresheet as well, registering 13 kills, four blocks and three digs.
 
Every set was a battle as both the second and third sets were decided by scores of 29-27 and 27-29, respectively. Junior Mason Nissley was exceptional for Messiah and he led the Falcons with 27 kills in the match which was a season-high.
 
The Ducks trailed 9-11 in the final set, but they went on a 7-1 run to close out the match and secure the top seed. Feulner, Sherman and junior Percy Bickford powered the offense down the stretch in the last set and the win handed Messiah its first league loss of the season. 
 
Stevens took care of business in the first game of the day against Arcadia. They trailed by as many as five early in the first set and then never looked back after that. Sherman put in a strong performance with 14 kills and Bickford added five more kills.
 
Senior Quinn Baily led the way for the Knights with nine kills and senior Collin Nissley followed closely behind with eight. The Knights rallied to sweep Messiah in the final contest of the day to conclude the regaular season 11-16 on the year, which includes a 7-6 record in league play. The Knights will take on Alvernia in the play-in game. Messiah wrapped up play 19-5 on the year, with an 11-2 mark in MAC play. The Falcons will host Stevenson in a semifinal matchup Wednesday evening.
 
Sherman ended the day with 31 kills between the two matches. Junior Louden Moran finished with a combined 72 assists, including 46 against Messiah. Moran also led the Ducks with a total of 12 digs on the day. Five against Arcadia and seven against the Falcons.
 
Up Next: Stevens will host a semifinal on Wednesday, Apr. 6, at Canavan Arena as the No. 1 seed in the MAC tournament. They will face the winner of the play-in match between Alvernia and Arcadia.

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