Springfield, Mass. – The No. 3 Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team rallied from a first-set deficit to defeat Drew University 3-1 in the Consolation Game of the International Volleyball Hall of Fame Morgan Classic on Saturday.
The Ducks (9-1) topped the Rangers (7-5) by set scores of 16-25, 25-13, 26-24, and 25-18.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The opening frame saw ties at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 before three consecutive points gave Drew a 9-6 lead. A kill from
Colin Holden off a set from
Quinn Bozarth trimmed the gap to one at 11-10, but the Rangers rolled off three straight points to force Stevens into a timeout. Drew extended its margin to nine to bring up set point, but a solo block from Holden kept the period alive. The rally was short-lived, however, as a service error sealed the opening set for the Rangers.
The second stanza again went back-and-forth in the early stages before the Ducks reeled off four straight points, including an ace from
Jacob Lobdell that forced a Drew timeout. Kills from
Esteban Schmitt and
Alex Olcott stretched the gap to six at 13-7 before Olcott added another ace to give Stevens an 18-9 advantage. The lead swelled to double figures, and back-to-back kills from
Colin Hughes capped off a 25-13 victory, leveling the match at one.
Drew notched six of the first nine points in the third set and held a three-point advantage before a 3-0 run pushed the score to 13-8. Schmitt paused the rally with a kill, and the Ducks closed to within three on a kill and an ace from
Phillip Bone. A Lobdell kill started a 4-0 spurt that pulled Stevens within one at 18-17, but the Rangers answered with a kill to bring up set point at 24-22. Olcott and Lobdell responded with kills to tie the set at 24, and after a Drew attack error, Schmitt finished a Bozarth set to secure the 26-24 victory.
The Ducks raced out to a strong start in the fourth set, registering nine of the first 12 points. The run was punctuated by consecutive kills from Bone and a double block by Schmitt and Bozarth. Drew answered with four straight points before Bone stopped the momentum with a kill. Olcott and Schmitt added kills to extend the Stevens lead to six at 17-11. Another Schmitt kill made it 22-16, but the Rangers closed within three with a late run. Schmitt once again halted the momentum with a kill, and a Drew attack error sealed the victory for Stevens.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Schmitt hit a blistering .611 (12-1-18) while adding five digs.
- Lobdell led the way at the net with five blocks (one solo, four assists).
- Bozarth recorded 38 assists to go along with two aces and two digs.
UP NEXT
The Ducks return home to host No. 7 New York University inside Canavan Arena on Tuesday. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
