Union, N.J. – The No. 6 Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team and No. 3 Juniata College went the distance on Friday night, with Stevens emerging victorious in a thrilling five-set match during the opening night of The Clash at Kean.
The Ducks (5-0) topped Juniata (8-1) by scores of 20-25, 25-21, 25-21, 22-25, and 15-10.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Neither side seized early control in the opening set, as the teams traded the first 18 points. Juniata reeled off four straight to take a 13-9 lead before consecutive Eagle errors cut the deficit in half. Stevens pulled within two on a kill from
Esteban Schmitt, and an ace from
Julius Stiemer made it 15-13. Trailing 18-14, the Ducks claimed four of the next five points, capped by a block from
Tyler Hoke and
Joshua Levandoske, to close within one. However, Juniata responded by winning four of the final five points to take the opening frame.
With the score tied at seven in the second set, Stevens went on a 5-1 run behind consecutive kills from Hoke and Levandoske to grab a 12-8 advantage. The lead grew to six at 18-12 following a block from Schmitt and
Alex Olcott. Juniata closed within four at 23-19, and after Hoke and Olcott teamed up for a block to bring up set point, the Eagles won the next two rallies. Stevens regrouped following a timeout, and a Juniata service error sealed the set, tying the match at one.
The third set mirrored the first two, with neither team leading by more than two early. Back-to-back kills from Hoke and
Ryan Schmid gave Stevens a 12-9 edge, but Juniata answered to stay close. Ties followed at 14 and 15 before a Juniata attack error pushed Stevens ahead 20-17. An ace from Schmid made it 23-19, and consecutive service errors by the Eagles handed the Ducks the third set.
Juniata opened the fourth set by scoring five of the first seven points. Stevens responded with a 4-1 run to even the score at 12, highlighted by a Hoke kill and a solo block from Schmitt. Trailing 24-18 late, the Ducks capitalized on three straight Eagle attack errors, including another solo block by Schmitt, to close within two. Juniata, however, forced a deciding set following a ball-handling error.
Stevens scored the first two points in the fifth, but the set was tied at 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 before the Ducks pulled ahead 8-6 on three consecutive attack errors. Juniata tied the score at eight, but Stevens closed the match by scoring seven of the final nine points. Six of those points came on Eagle attack errors, while Schmid recorded a kill during the run. Consecutive solo blocks from Schmid and Hoke sealed the victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Stevens limited Juniata to a .000 hitting percentage in the fifth set, as the Eagles committed nine errors.
- Nick Schmidt recorded a double-double with 43 assists and 10 digs.
- Ryan Schmid added 10 digs and seven kills.
- Dominic Ambrose led the defense with 12 digs.
- Joshua Levandoske finished with 10 kills and nine digs.
- Esteban Schmitt was dominant at the net with six blocks (two solo, four assists), while Hoke added three assisted blocks and one solo.
UP NEXT
The Clash at Kean continues on Saturday, as Stevens faces Lasell College at 2:00 p.m. before taking on host Kean University at 4:00 p.m.
