HOBOKEN, N.J. – In a showdown between two teams with serious national championship aspirations, the No. 3 Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team knocked off No. 2 Carthage in four sets Thursday evening in front of a lively crowd at Canavan Arena.
Stevens dropped the first set 22-25, but took the next three 25-21, 25-16, and 25-23, remaining perfect on the season, moving to 8-0.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Back and forth from the get-go, Carthage held a series of 1-2 point leads early in the first before Stevens finally went in front 10-9. The teams went stride for stride over the next two dozen points as neither side held more than a two-point cushion until four straight late from Carthage turned a 21-20 Stevens lead into set point for the visitors. Stevens fought off one, but Carthage closed out on their second attempt.
Stevens went down early in the second set, fell behind by as many five (14-9), and were still staring at a three-point deficit (and a two-set deficit) at 18-15 before six straight points turned the set, and possibly the match, around;
Alex Olcott had three kills during the run while
Tyler Hoke record a solo block and teamed with
Julius Stiemer for an assisted block on back-to-back points. Stevens did not trail the rest of the set, holding off two attempted rallies-to-within-a-single-point from the Firebirds, who capped the set with back-to-back attack errors.
In a near-mirror image of the second set, Stevens took a series of five-point leads in the third, the latest coming at 13-8, but Carthage twice pulled back within a point, first at 13-12, then 15-14. Again, Stevens bent but did not break, putting their foot on the gas with the next eight points, getting three kills from Stiemer and two from Hoke. Another Hoke kill and a Carthage attack error put Stevens up two sets to one.
The fourth set featured six ties through the 11-11 mark. Carthage took five of the next seven points, forcing a Stevens timeout. Carthage still led 22-19 before
Greg Li followed up a kill with a service ace, then added
another kill after a Carthage attack error, shooting the Ducks in front 23-22. Carthage tied things at 23, but a
Nick Schmidt kill and joint block from Hoke and Olcott capped the thrilling win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Stevens is now 8-7 against the Firebirds since 2005, including 8-3 since 2008
- The Ducks are 71-5 at home under head coach Dan Buerhing, a 93.4 winning percentage
- For the third time in his last four appearances, Olcott set a career-high in kills, finishing with 19, to go along with 10 digs
- For the second straight match, Stiemer set a season-high for kills, finishing with 17
- Hoke finished with nine kills and four total blocks, both season-highs
- Schmidt finished with career-highs in assists (47) and digs (13)
- Joshua Levandoske and Li combined for 12 kills and a .429 hitting percentage, committing just one error on 28 total swings
UP NEXT
Stevens will play at No. 1 Springfield tomorrow at 6:00 PM, then face either Drew or Hobart at a time TBD on Saturday.
#AllRise
