HOBOKEN, N.J. – With multiple players establishing new season and career-bests, the Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team knocked off reigning four-time CUNYAC champion Baruch on Wednesday night in four sets (25-8, 25-21, 22-25, 25-18) at Canavan Arena.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Stevens (13-2) conceded the match's opening point, but three errors, a Carver Weirick service ace, a Hunter Schmidt kill, and Schmidt/Ryan Schmid joint block gave the Ducks the next six points. Two kills by Phillip Bone, one from Esteban Schmitt, and two more Baruch errors pushed the advantage out to 12-3. Kills from Cade Allen and Weirick helped push the margin to 11, 17-6, forcing Baruch's second timeout of the set.

Out of the timeout, another Schmid/Schmidt joint block, Tyler Christensen service ace, and three Bearcats errors left the Ducks two points from the set, with Schmid notching back-to-back kills to close out the frame.

Baruch led much of the second set, holding a series of six and seven-point leads, igniting a remarkable extended comeback from the Ducks. Two Schmid kills and one from Weirick halved a 9-3 deficit to 9-6, then after Baruch opened a 15-8 cushion, a Kevin Herbst service ace and kills by Weirick & Allen pulled the Red and Gray back to 16-13. Four errors in a five-point span (three by Baruch), leveled the set at 17 before a Bone kill, then joint block with Schmidt put the Ducks up 19-17. Out of another Baruch timeout, a Bone kill and two Bearcats errors made it 22-17. The Ducks held at least a three-point cushion the rest of the set, taking a 2-0 lead on a Baruch service error.

Neither team held a lead greater than a single point until Baruch went up 8-6 in the third; Schmitt had two kills and Weirick had one in the early stages of the set. After each side traded a few errors each, with Baruch holding a 10-9 lead, the teams alternated six straight kills, Baruch maintaining a 13-12 lead. The Bearcats reeled off eight of the next 10 points, but a Schmitt service ace, Weirick kill + solo block, Cade Allen kill, and Quinn Bozarth kill pulled the Ducks back within two, 22-20. Weirick and Bone each added a kill late, but the Bearcats pushed the match to a fourth, taking the set 25-22.

The fourth set opened much like the third, neither side opening a lead more than two points before back-to-back Bearcat attack errors put Stevens up 8-5; Weirick, Schmid, Bone, and Schmitt had early kills for the Red and Gray. Baruch clawed back to a 9-9 tie, but the Ducks pushed their lead back to 16-12, Schmid, Bone, and Tyler Hoke (twice) recording kills during the 7-3 run.

Stevens extended the run to 13-5, with Weirick and Allen each adding a kill amidst three Baruch errors. Schmid put the Ducks on match point with two more kills, and Bone closed out the night with another.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Schmid finished with a team-high and career-high 12 kills, hitting .500 on 22 swings.
• Bone finished with a double-double, notching 11 kills with 10 digs.
• The team's two primary setters Wednesday night, Bozarth and Herbst, each set career-highs in assists, Bozarth finishing with 15 and Herbst finishing with 23.
• Weirick's nine kills were his highest single-game total since notching 10 in back-to0-back contests last March.
• Schmitt and Allen each set or tied season highs with five kills apiece.

UP NEXT
The Ducks commence Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) competition next Friday, February 28, against Misericordia, whom the Ducks have beaten in each of the last two MAC Tournaments.

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