Owings Mill, Md. – The No. 5 Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team outlasted host Stevenson University in five sets before sweeping Randolph-Macon College.
 
The Ducks (16-3) defeated Stevenson 22-25, 25-21, 24-26, 25-17, 15-13 before knocking off Randolph-Macon 25-15, 25-17, 25-21.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – STEVENSON
The opening set featured seven lead changes up to an 8-8 tie. Greg Li, Hunter Schmidt, Ryan Schmid, and Phillip Bone each recorded an early kill for the Ducks. Despite keeping the deficit within three points, Stevens couldn't pull ahead, as Stevenson secured the first set. Joshua Levandoske led the Ducks with three kills.
 
The second set remained tight, with neither team leading by more than two points until Stevenson pulled ahead 12-9. The Ducks responded, turning a three-point deficit into a 16-14 lead thanks to a Sherman kill and six Stevenson errors. With the score tied at 16, kills from Levandoske, Schmid, and Alex Olcott pushed Stevens ahead 19-17. The Ducks maintained their advantage, clinching the set with a kill from Sebastian Huyke.
 
The third set followed a similar pattern, with neither side gaining more than a three-point lead. Stevens led as late as 15-14 and tied the match at every point from 20 through 24. However, the Mustangs edged out the Ducks for a 2-1 lead in the match. Sherman and Levandoske combined for nine kills, while Schmid and Bone added two each.
 
Stevens started the fourth set strong, racing out to a 4-0 lead with Sherman delivering four early kills. The Ducks extended their advantage to 16-8 with kills from Olcott and Levandoske, along with three Mustang errors. The lead grew to 19-10 and then 23-13 before Stevens closed out the set, forcing a decisive fifth frame. Olcott, Levandoske, and Tyler Hoke each contributed multiple kills in the set.
 
The Ducks controlled the fifth set from the start, jumping to leads of 2-0, 6-2, and 9-3. The Mustangs fought back to make it 9-7 and later saved two match points to bring the score to 14-13. However, Sherman, who had three kills in the set, sealed the win with his 17th kill of the match. Esteban Schmitt, Levandoske, Huyke, Hoke, and Olcott also registered kills in the final frame.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – RANDOLPH-MACON
The Ducks took control early in the first set, doubling up the Yellow Jackets at 8-4. Carver Weirick and Sherman each recorded two kills. A 4-0 Stevens run, highlighted by a Sherman ace, extended the lead to 21-9. Though Randolph-Macon responded with four straight points, a service error secured the first set for Stevens.
 
The second set saw early ties at 1-1, 2-2, and 3-3 before a 6-2 Stevens run provided some separation. Consecutive kills from Hoke, Olcott, and Sherman extended the lead to 12-7. Randolph-Macon kept the deficit at four before closing within three at 20-17. However, Stevens closed out the set with five consecutive points, including four errors by the Yellow Jackets. A solo block by Hoke clinched the set, giving the Ducks a commanding lead in the match.
 
The third set featured 11 early ties, with neither team leading by more than two until consecutive kills from Weirick and an ace from Sherman made it 13-11. The margin grew to five as Olcott recorded back-to-back kills at 18-13. The Yellow Jackets fended off two match points, but Sherman sealed the victory with a final kill off a set from Huyke.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Sherman recorded 30 kills over the two matches, including 17 against Stevenson. The senior also contributed four blocks and four digs in the win over Randolph-Macon.
• Huyke posted a double-double in both matches, including 40 assists and 13 digs against Randolph-Macon.
• Esteban Schmitt tallied five kills on eight attempts in the Randolph-Macon match and added two block assists.

UP NEXT
The Ducks continue Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) play on Wednesday, March 12, against Arcadia at 7 p.m. at Canavan Arena.