Union, N.J. – The No. 4 Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team battled through three hard-fought sets, earning a second straight sweep over Nichols during the first day of the Clash at Kean Friday afternoon.
 
The Ducks (2-0), won 25-19, 25-21, 25-22 behind a strong defensive effort in the first set that held the Bison to an attack percentage under nine percent and a strong attack in the second and third sets, hitting .317 across the two frames.

HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Tyler Hoke was a force in the middle early on, notching three kills (all off assists from Sebastian Huyke). One kill apiece from Koby Sherman, Carver Weirick, and Ryan Schmid, plus four errors from Nichols staked the Ducks to an 11-6 advantage and forced a timeout from the Bison. Out of the timeout, Nichols closed to 11-9, but four errors over the next six points gave Stevens some of its early cushion back, 15-11. The Bison again closed to within two, 17-15, but three more service errors and another Weirick kill out of a Ducks' timeout once again pushed the Stevens' lead back to four, 21-17. Two more Nichols errors and a Schmid kill gave the Ducks set point, with a Huyke-to-Sherman connection closing out the frame. Nichols finished the set with 16 total errors (eight attack, eight service)
 
The two teams traded the first seven points of the second set back and forth, neither holding even a two-point advantage until a Bison error and Schmid kill put Stevens up 5-3. Nichols answered right back with the next three and nine of the next 13, seizing a 12-9 lead. Stevens worked the deficit back to one at 12-11, 13-12, and 14-13, finally taking back the lead off a Schmid kill and two more Nichols errors. Stevens kept the Bison at arm's length the rest of the set as the Bison closed to one at 16-15 and 17-16, but a service error, Greg Li service ace and Phillip Bone kill helped Stevens open a 20-16 cushion. Nichols took three of the ensuing four points out of a timeout to pull back within two, but a Weirick kill and two more errors set the stage for another Sherman set-ending kill.
 
The third set played out much like the second, with Stevens going up early with the Bison coming back midway through. Two kills from Sherman and Weirick, plus one from Hoke had Stevens up 7-4, but the Bison answered back and knotted the match at 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11-all. After going down 14-12, Stevens quickly seized the momentum right back following three more Nichols errors and a Schmid kill, then pushed the lead out to 19-16 after another two Bison errors and a Hoke kill. The wild back-and-forth continued as Nichols responded with the next three to tie at 19, only for Hoke (kill) and Bone (ace) to put the Ducks back in front, 21-19. The Bison again closed to one at 22-21 and 23-22, but Stevens closed the set (and sweep) on the strength of Nichols' 36^th and 37^th errors of the match.


INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Schmid, Sherman, Hoke, and Weirick combined for 30 kills and a .315 attack percentage; Weirick added seven digs.
• For the second straight match, Huyke paced the team in both assists (16) and digs (nine), the digs setting a new career high.
• Bone joined Huyke with nine digs, his highest single-game total since April 6, 2023 against Vassar.

UP NEXT
The Ducks' conclude the Clash At Kean tomorrow with matches against Hudson County foe NJCU (Noon) and the host Cougars (4:00 p.m.).