HOBOKEN, N.J. – The No. 4 Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team swept Middle Atlantic Conference foe King's and No. 9 Vassar in a tri-match on Senior Day Saturday from Canavan Arena.
 
The Ducks made quick work of the Monarchs, winning 25-13, 25-13, 25-18 to open the day, then survived a pair of down-to-the-wire sets in a 26-24, 25-22, 25-18 win over the Brewers.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – KING'S
With the opening set tied at one and Tyler Christensen serving, the senior reeled off five service aces during a run of nine straight Stevens points. Christensen reeled off four kills later in the set, with Carver Weirick adding four of his own as the Ducks pulled away for an early 1-0 lead.
 
King's kept the early stages of the second set much closer than the first, with Stevens holding an 8-6 lead, but a pair of Hunter Schmidt kills helped ignite a 7-1 Stevens spurt as the Ducks opened a 15-7 edge. The Monarchs closed to within 16-10, but pulled no closer as three more Christensen kills helped close another 25-13 set for the Ducks.
 
With Stevens (21-4, 7-0 MAC) up 10-5 in the third set (Weirick and Greg Li providing two early kills apiece), the teams traded four-point runs – Stevens taking a 14-9 lead – before King's closed to within a single point at 18-17, The Ducks took command from there to close out the match, with three more Weirick kills, one from Li, and one from Cade Allen closing out the Ducks' first 3-0 victory of the day.
 
Weirick finished with a team-high 12 kills, two ahead of Christensen's 10.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – VASSAR
Stevens held a series of slim leads in the early going with Vassar taking its first lead of the set at 10-9. The Brewers tacked on another point before three straight errors and an Alex Olcott kill put the Ducks back in front 13-11.


Following ties at every single interval from 14 to 20, Vassar finally took a two-point cushion at 22-20, but two errors sandwiched around a Joshua Levandoske kill shot the Ducks back in front 23-22. Another Levandoske kill gave the Ducks their first set point opportunity, but the Brewers held. Another Olcott kill provided the Ducks their second set point opportunity, and an Olcott/Esteban Schmitt block assist closed out the set.
 
Vassar got off to a fast start in the second set, taking the first four points and nine of the first 15, but the Ducks reeled them back in, taking a 13-11 lead on the strength of a 5-0 run. That lead grew to 17-13, before Vassar pulled back within two, 22-20. Koby Sherman notched his fifth kill of the set to provide the Ducks some breathing room, an attack error put Stevens on set point, and Tyler Hoke put the Ducks up two sets with his third kill of the frame.
 
The two sides went back and forth early in the third, playing to nine ties and six lead changes before the Ducks opened a 15-12 lead on the back of a 4-0 run. Vassar got a point back but a Levandoske kill, Christen service ace, and three Vassar errors left the Ducks up 20-13.
 
Following two more Vassar errors, kills by Levandoske, Olcott, and Sherman closed out the Ducks' second win of the day.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (KING'S)

• Christensen notched his first kill(s) in 76 sets, dating back to the end of the 2022 season. Christensen also matched his season total entering the day with five service aces.
• The Ducks hit .432 as a team, including .607 during a 17-kill, zero-error second set.
• The Stevens' defense held King's to 19 kills, the fewest by a Ducks' opponent this season.  

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (VASSAR)

• Huyke recorded his fourth double-double in his last seven matches with 29 assists and 10 digs, both team-highs.
• Stevens held the Brewers to a .096 attack percentage, just the second time this season Vassar has been held under .200.

Prior to the King's match the team honored the nine members of the Class of 2025: Christensen, Huyke, Sherman, Weirick, Schmidt, Kevin Herbst, Phu-Quy Ho, Jesse Knuckles, and Brandon Rogers.

UP NEXT
The Ducks travel to Frederick, Maryland for a 5:00 match Thursday night with Hood, wrapping Middle Atlantic Conference and regular season competition. The Ducks have clinched a top-two seed in the MAC Tournament and will host a semifinal match on Wednesday, April 9.

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