Hoboken, N.J. – The No. 5 Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team swept No. 2 Messiah University, 3-0, in a battle for first place in the Middle Atlantic Conference on Saturday afternoon.
The Ducks (19-4, 6-0 MAC) defeated the Falcons (22-3, 5-1 MAC) by scores of 25-16, 27-25, and 25-19.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Kills from
Ryan Schmid,
Julius Stiemer, and
Joshua Levandoske helped Stevens build an early 4-1 lead in the opening set. The two sides stayed close until the Ducks used a 5-1 run, sparked by consecutive kills from Schmid, to create separation. After Messiah trimmed the deficit to 17-12, Stevens answered with a 6-2 spurt to extend its lead to 23-14. Schmid closed out the set with a kill off a
Quinn Bozarth assist.
Stevens carried the momentum into the second set, claiming eight of the first 12 points as Schmid recorded three kills during the stretch. Messiah responded with four straight points to tie the set at eight, and the teams traded points through ties at 9, 10, 11, and 12. The Falcons moved ahead 15-13, but Stevens answered back as neither team led by more than two points the rest of the way. Levandoske recorded a kill to give the Ducks set point, and Stiemer sealed the 27-25 win with a solo block.
In the third set, Stevens jumped out to another 4-1 lead before Messiah answered to take a 6-5 advantage. The Ducks quickly responded with six of the next eight points, capped by back-to-back kills from Stiemer. Messiah pulled within one several times, but consecutive attack errors helped Stevens push the lead to 17-14. A Schmid kill made it 22-18, and Stevens closed the match with three straight points to complete the sweep.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Schmid hit .520 with 14 kills, one error, and 25 attempts, while adding five digs and two blocks.
- Stiemer finished with 13 kills and a .450 hitting percentage, while also recording five digs.
- Bozarth handed out a team-high 33 assists, and Hoke totaled three blocks, including one solo.
UP NEXT
The Ducks host No. 10 Southern Virginia University on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
