Hoboken, N.J. – The top-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team won its fifth consecutive Middle Atlantic Conference Championship with a 3-1 victory over second-seeded Messiah College.
 
Ryan Schmid was named the MAC Championship Most Valuable Player for Stevens (25-5) after tallying 33 kills across two MAC Championship matches. The Ducks won 25-6, 22-25, 25-21, and 25-23.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Ducks blitzed the Falcons in the opening set, scoring the first six points of the frame. Schmid tallied back-to-back kills while teaming up with Tyler Hoke for a block. Schmid kick-started an 8-0 spurt with a kill and then served up seven straight points. Stevens was aided by four straight attack errors, including a tandem block by Greg Li and Quinn Bozarth. Consecutive kills from Julius Stiemer stretched the lead to 15, and Stevens polished off the opening set with the last four points, with Stiemer clinching set one with a kill off a Bozarth assist.
 
The second set went back-and-forth as neither side was able to take a big lead. The Ducks used a 6-2 run to go up 11-8 and held a two-point lead until midway through the period. The Falcons reeled off three straight points to creep in front 18-17. After ties at 18 and 19, Messiah took control with three more in a row, and Stevens was unable to get closer than two the rest of the way.
 
Stevens quickly went up 4-1 in the third, with Hoke and Stiemer netting kills. The lead grew to five on the heels of back-to-back solo blocks by Schmid, with Stevens pulling further in front by taking four of the next six points to go up 17-13. The run was completed by a double-block from Esteban Schmitt and Joshua Levandoske. The Falcons fended off two set points before a service error into the net capped the third set, putting Stevens in front 2-1.
 
The home side went up 7-4 in the fourth period, with Stiemer adding a kill and an ace during the run. The guests went back up 9-8 on a 5-1 spurt and separated themselves with a 4-1 rally to take a 13-10 lead. Stevens continued to fight back, pulling even at 19 on back-to-back kills from Stiemer. The graduate continued his torrid fourth set with two more kills to push Stevens up 21-20. Stevens went to match point after an attack error, but the Falcons fought one off after a service error. Needing one kill, Stevens went to Schmid, and he delivered the match-clinching kill.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Today's MAC Championship was the fourth time Stevens and Messiah have squared off in the title game, with Stevens going 4-0 in those matches.
• Schmid's 21 kills were one off his career-high, set twice this season. The junior also added five blocks and seven digs.
• Hoke was a force at the net, tallying six blocks (one solo, five assisted) with five kills.
• Stiemer narrowly missed a double-double, settling for 14 kills and nine digs.
• Bozarth handed out 42 assists while adding six digs, as Dominic Ambrose led the way with 11 digs.

UP NEXT
The Ducks will find out their matchup in the NCAA Tournament during the Selection Show Monday at 10:00 a.m. on ncaa.com.