Box Score
Game Program

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (February 1, 2012) -- In both teams opening match of conference play – and Stevens' first match of the season – the visiting Ducks fended off a Brewer rally to take the match in four sets, 23-25, 19-25, 25-22, 24-26. Vassar was led by Matt Elgin, who notched 11 kills while hitting .409. Christian La Du made a match-high 18 digs.

Stevens is now 1-0 and will next host non-conference foe Ramapo College February 4^th, while Vassar drops to 2-2 and will travel to Stevens Institute for the first of two United Volleyball Conference weekends on February 11^th and 12^th.

The fourth set proved the most exciting, with the Brewers, down two sets to one, fighting back from a six point deficit late, 12-18, before tying the set at 21. A Stevens time-out was only a brief respite, and when a Duck hitting error and Vassar kill pushed the led to 23-21, the Brewers seemed poised to finish the comeback and force a fifth set. Tough Stevens serving forced a couple of quick Brewer errors, and a big Jake Modestow kill gave the Ducks their first match point. A Vassar time-out gave them a chance to re-group, and a kill from Colin Fearn-Johnson  tied it again at 24-24, but Stevens was not to be denied, with a Ryan Seifert kill and Dave Evans block closing out the set 26-24 and the match 3-1.

The first set looked like it was going to be all Stevens as they led from the outset and built a six point lead at 17-11, but Vassar got a little momentum going and scored four unanswered to get within two at 15-17. The Ducks finally broke serve but would not extend their lead again and after a Joe Pyne kill tied it at 20-20, the first since 9-9, Pyne followed with a service ace to give the Brewers their first lead 21-20. The teams traded points until 23-23, when a Kevin Aeckerle kill and a Vassar hitting error gave Stevens the first set win 25-23. Hitting percentage was the big difference in the set, with Stevens almost doubling Vassar's .231 with an impressive .452.

The second set felt much like the first early on with Stevens jumping out to the first lead and stretching it to four at 15-11 before Vassar could put together a run and tie it up at 15-15. After trading kills for another tie at sixteen, the visiting Ducks took control offensively and in this set didn't give it back. Vassar got within two twice, but the Stevens lead grew to six, which would prove the winning margin 25-19, giving the Ducks a 2-0 set advantage. Ian Tyger led the way for Stevens with five kills.

The Brewers showed no signs of giving in, however, opening the third set with great energy and jumping out to a 6-2 lead, their largest of the match so far. Stevens seemed put off-balance by their biggest deficit of the match, but soon recovered their poise and began to narrow the gap. Vassar kept the lead at two until 10-8, before the Ducks – helped by three Vassar hitting errors - scored five unanswered points to build a three point lead of their own at 13-10. The Brewers could get no closer than two before consecutive Stevens errors tied it at 19-19. Two more Duck errors gave Vassar a two point edge and forced a Stevens time-out. A missed serve out of the time-out made it a one point game, but following a Vassar kill and a huge block by Patrick Donohue and Fearn-Johnson – who subbed in mid-set – the Vassar lead was back to three, their eventual margin of victory in the set 25-22.

The match showcased depth for Vassar, with eleven players contributing. Charlie Caldwell had eight kills and nine digs, while John Konow had 36 of Vassar's  42 assists. The Brewers held an 8-3 margin in blocks, with Donohue leading the match with five. The biggest edge on the stat sheet went to the Ducks, who dug 67 balls to Vassar's 50, with three players in double figures. Tyger and Seifert paced the Stevens offense with 14 and 13 kills respectively.