SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The 12th-ranked Stevenson University men's volleyball team advanced to the championship match of the International Volleyball Hall of Fame Morgan Classic hosted by Springfield College with a 3-1 win over No. 6 Rivier Friday evening at Blake Arena.  Set scores were 18-25, 25-22, 25-21, 26-24.

• Rivier (4-1) took control of the first set with a 6-1 run that made it 16-11.
• Prior to that, the set had been tied six times.
• Stevenson (8-3) got within 22-18 after a Logan Smiley kill and a Raider attack error.
• Two Mustang errors and a Rivier kill closed out the first set.

• A kill by Smiley allowed the Mustangs to eke out a 9-6 lead.
• The Raiders scored the next two points to pull within 9-8.
• After another Smiley kill made it 10-8, Rivier scored the next three points to take an 11-10 lead.
• Rivier extended its lead to 19-15.
• Stevenson countered with a 7-1 run capped by a Michael Dougherty service ace, after Smiley had three straight kills, to make it 22-20.
• The Raiders cut the lead to one, but kills by Smiley and Kyle Bosko made it 24-21.
• A Raider attack error closed out the set.

• Rivier led 10-8 when a 5-1 Mustang run capped by a block by Bosko and Garrett Weigel put them up 13-11.
• Stevenson extended its lead to 16-12 before the Raiders scored three straight points to pull within 16-15.
• The Mustangs scored six of the next eight points to go up 22-16 on a Smiley kill.
• A Rivier attack error closed out the set.

• The fourth set saw 11 ties before Rivier was able to eke out a 23-21 lead, looking to extend the match to a fifth set.
• Stevenson scored the next three points, with kills by Smiley sandwiching a Bosko block.
• With Stevenson serving for the match, a Raider kill kept them alive.
• A block by Bosko and Aleks Melbardis put the Mustangs up 25-24.
• A Rivier attack error closed things out.

• Stevenson hit .444 in the fourth set and .239 for the match, while Rivier hit .241.
• Smiley racked up 21 kills, hitting .286.  He also had five digs and a pair of service aces.
• Tanner Stauffer recorded nine kills.
• Bosko and Nate Reynolds each added six kills.  Reynolds also had five blocks, with Bosko finishing with four.
• Derek Tangorra finished with eight digs.
• Melbardis tallied five blocks and five kills.  He also totaled 14 assists.
• Peyton Ranck posted 25 assists.
• Stevenson improved to 2-2 this season against nationally-ranked teams.

• Stevenson faces second-ranked Springfield in the Hall of Fame Classic title match Saturday at 8 pm at Blake Arena.  The Pride edged top-ranked and defending national champion SUNY New Paltz in the first match of the evening.
• The Mustangs return home next Saturday, February 15, hosting Widener in a 2 pm Middle Atlantic Conference matchup.