Story courtesy of Stevens Athletics

Hoboken, N.J. – The No. 3 Stevens Institute of Technology men's volleyball team fell to Nichols College in four sets Friday in the Second Round of the NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Championship.

The Bison advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of Juniata College and Wentworth Institute of Technology on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., with a berth in the NCAA Semifinals on the line.


 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The opening frame featured seven early ties before Stevens tallied three straight points to take a 10-9 lead. Koby Sherman recorded a kill, while Nichols committed a pair of unforced errors. The Bison responded with a 6-2 spurt to open up a four-point lead. Stevens closed to within one on kills from Joshua Levandoske and Alex Olcott, but could get no closer, as Nichols finished the set on a 4-1 run to take it 25-21.
 
The Ducks came out strong in the second stanza, scoring seven of the first nine points to build an early 7-2 advantage. After Nichols pulled within two, Sherman sparked a 4-0 Stevens run with a kill. Tyler Hoke and Sebastian Huyke teamed up for a block, and Olcott capped the run with a kill off a set from Levandoske to make it 13-7. Back-to-back kills by Levandoske extended the lead to 20-14, and a double-block from Esteban Schmitt and Huyke brought up set point. Nichols fended off one set point, but Olcott closed it out with a kill as Stevens took the second set 25-19.
 
Nichols raced out to a 5-2 lead in the third set. After the teams traded points, the Bison strung together three straight to go up 10-5. Stevens responded with five of the next six points following a timeout, led by two Sherman kills and a block and kill from Schmitt. The Ducks continued to battle, but Nichols maintained a narrow advantage for much of the frame. A 4-1 Bison run pushed the lead to 23-19. Stevens answered with a solo block from Hoke to cut it to 23-22, but Nichols closed out the set with the final two points to win it 25-22.
 
Stevens didn't back down in the fourth, as Sherman, Levandoske, and Olcott each put down early kills. A second kill by Levandoske made it 6-2, forcing a Nichols timeout. The Ducks extended their lead to 15-9 on another Sherman kill, but the Bison responded with a 5-1 run to close within four at 18-14, prompting a Stevens timeout. Olcott halted the run with a key kill, and an unforced error by Nichols extended the lead to seven, causing the Bison to call their second timeout.
 
Nichols continued to chip away, closing to within three following another 5-1 stretch. Stevens used its final timeout, but the Bison tied the set and forced extra points. Schmitt put down a kill off a Huyke set to bring up set point for the Ducks, but Nichols fended off four set points before an attack error brought up match point. The teams traded points until Nichols ended the match with three straight, capped by a solo block.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Sherman closed out his collegiate career with his third career double-double, posting 18 kills and a career-high 14 digs.
• Huyke also recorded a double-double with a career-high 55 assists and 14 digs.
• The middle duo of Hoke and Schmitt combined for 18 kills and eight blocks.
• Olcott notched a double-double as well, finishing with 13 kills and 12 digs.