HOBOKEN, N.J. – No. 4 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll, the Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team swept New Paltz Wednesday evening (25-17, 25-23, 27-25) in their penultimate match before the start of conference play next weekend.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Stevens (12-2) conceded the first two points of the evening, but took a 3-2 lead on a Koby Sherman kill, New Paltz attack error, and Alex Olcott service ace. The Hawks leveled at three, but a service error and three straight kills by Tyler Hoke, Sherman, and Joshua Levandoske staked Stevens to a 7-3 lead; Sherman then added a solo block, making it 8-3.

The Ducks held at least a four-point cushion – Hoke, Bennett Heydorn, and Olcott adding kills – until New Paltz closed to 13-10, but immediately conceded two straight points on errors. The Hawks again closed to within three at 15-12, but again conceded two straight (and three of the next four) via error, giving the Ducks a 19-13 advantage. The Hawks pulled within five at 19-14 but drew no closer as three errors paired with Levandoske, Hoke, and Olcott kills gave the Ducks the first set.

New Paltz led 4-1 and 9-6 in the second but conceded the proceeding two points via error in each instance as the Ducks rallied to tie at 5-all, and 10-all. New Paltz went back in front 11-10, but an Olcott kill, then service ace started a 7-2 spurt for the Ducks, capped by kills from Heydorn and Hoke, for a 17-13 lead. The Ducks pushed the lead out to 22-17 before the Hawks closed to one on three separate occasions, but two errors and a kill by Heydorn gave Stevens a two-set lead.

The third set started with the sides trading 10 points back and forth, all five Stevens points coming via New Paltz errors. After a Hoke kill, then service ace, the Ducks opened an 8-5 lead, but the Hawks rebounded to level at nine. Sherman and Li each followed with kills, opening a two-point Stevens lead. Sherman, Levandoske, and Heydorn followed with kills over the ensuing stretch, keeping the Ducks slightly in front, but the Hawks again responded, eventually taking a 17-16 lead.

Sherman and Levandoske put the Ducks back in front with back-to-back kills, before, just as the set began, the teams traded the following 10 points back and forth, Stevens remaining in front throughout until a service error and New Paltz kill gave them set point 24-23. After Olcott extended the set with a kill, another service error gave the Hawks a second set point, but Li wiped it away with another kill. The Ducks' defense closed the show from there, with Hoke & Levandoske, then Hoke & Sherman ending the match with back-to-back joint blocks.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Entering Wednesday with at least six kills in all eight appearances this season, Olcott kept the streak going with six more in the sweep.
• Hoke finished with seven kills and no errors, his fourth error-less outing this season with at least six kills.
• Jesse Knuckles finished with eight digs, his fifth 8+ dig-effort in his last six appearances.

UP NEXT
The Ducks are right back at it tomorrow night at Canavan against Baruch at 7:00 pm, the team's final match before opening conference play next Friday against Misericordia.

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