POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (February 10, 2016) – The visiting No. 6 Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks registered 17 total blocks Wednesday evening, knocking off the No. 9 Vassar College men's volleyball team in the United Volleyball Conference (UVC) opener for both teams from Kenyon Hall. Stevens earned the league win with scores of 25-23, 26-24, 18-25 and 25-22.

The Brewers actually posted more service aces (8-3) and kills (49-47) than their visitors in the match Wednesday, but the difference was at the net. Stevens chalked up nine more blocks than the Brewers, while forcing Vassar into 30 attack errors in contrast to just the 19 from the Ducks. Despite that, the match was close the entire way through, evidenced by the 94 total points for each team.

The first set was a thriller, featuring 13 tie scores and seven lead changes. With the score tied at 20 late in the game, the Brewers posted a 3-1 mini-run highlighted by a block by senior Erik Halberg (Newark, DE/Salesianum) and sophomore Matthew Knigge (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) to take a 23-21 lead. The Ducks came to life though over the next four points, forcing VC into three attack errors in taking the opening set.

In the second game, Stevens scored five of the first seven points, capped by a block by Thomas Burrell and Gabe Shankweiler. The Brewers slowly chipped away at the disadvantage, and knotted the score at 10 on a Zechariah Lee (Santa Clarita, CA/Saugus) service ace. Stevens would regain its four-point lead at 19-15, but Vassar once again responded, this time chalking up a 5-0 spurt to take a 20-19 advantage on a kill by Lee.

Stevens (8-1, 1-0 UVC) pushed back ahead at 23-22, but Vassar wouldn't go away turning away a set point at 24-23. The Ducks though would end up earning a 2-0 match lead, picking up the final two points of the second set.
Vassar would pull to within a set thanks to an emphatic win in the third game, much in part to it posting a side out percentage of 84 percent (16-19). The Brewers also held Stevens to just nine kills in the third set, as VC led from start to finish in the stanza in the 25-18 victory.

In the fourth set, the Brewers scored the first point, but that was the only lead that they would hold in the final game. Vassar was down 18-15 midway through the period, but strong serving from sophomore Brian Manley (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) helped VC pull to within one at 19-18. Stevens would build its lead back out to four at 22-18 and ended up earning the win on a kill by Shankweiler.

Senior right side Reno Kriz (Breinigsville, PA/Parkland) had a huge match for the host Brewers, chalking up a match-high 20 kills, adding 10 digs and four assists blocks. The double-double for Kriz was his seventh of his career, and his first of the 2016 season.

Kriz wasn't the only Brewer with a double-double, as Lee chalked up 37 assists and 19 digs on the evening. The 19 digs for Lee were a career-high, and the most in a match for a Brewer this season. Lee was one of four players with double-digit digs, as junior libero Trey Cimorelli (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) posted 14 and junior Christian Lizana (Dublin, PA/Parkland) added 10.

In addition to Kriz offensively, Knigge posted nine kills and three assisted blocks, while Lizana registered seven terminations as well. Freshman George Diehl (St. Louis, MO/Lindbergh) posted six total blocks on the night, adding five kills, and junior Quinn Rutledge (Chesterfield, VA/Cosby) booked five kills and six digs.

Vassar posted a hitting percentage of .124 (49-30-153) on the night, and allowed just three aces on the night. Stevens was led by the 15 kills from Shankweiler, and Tim Ferriter and Chris Vaughn each posted 13 terminations as well for the Ducks. Burrell chalked up 12 assists blocks in the win.

Vassar (8-2, 0-1 UVC) will be off until next Tuesday evening, traveling to Riverdale, NY at 7 p.m. to battle the College of Mount Saint Vincent.