Box Score OWINGS MILLS, Md. – The 11th-ranked Stevenson men's volleyball team (16-6, 6-0 MAC) defeated 4th-ranked Vassar College (13-4, 5-1 UVC) by a score of 3-1 Thursday evening at Owings Mills Gymnasium. Set Scores were 26-24, 25-16, 17-25 and 25-17.
The Brewers and Mustangs battled through eight tie scores and three lead changes in the first frame as both teams passed well, with only one reception error per team. Stevenson gained a narrow margin at the 11-8 mark with a three-point streak, but the separation was enough for the Mustangs to never relinquish the lead.
Stevenson continued to leverage their lead, taking an 18-11 advantage, the largest margin of the frame. Vassar fought back to narrow the gap at 18-15 before Tim Flanagan sent home a kill to swing the momentum back to Stevenson.
The Mustangs saw their lead whither as Vassar tied the set at 24-24 on a Payne Lounsberry kill. However, a Brewers attack error and Tim Flanagan kill gave the Mustangs the 26-24 set victory.
The second frame also began tightly contested. Vassar built a small 3-0 lead but the Mustangs crawled back to tie the set at 10 a-piece when Tim Flanagan sent home a kill, sparking a thre-pint run to take a 12-10 lead. The Mustangs would add another three-point run to leverage an 18-12 lead with kills from Flanagan and Aleks Melbardis as well as a service ace from Melbardis.
Tanner Stauffer notched a kill to bring the Stevenson lead to 20-13. The Mustangs finished the frame with four straight points including kills from Flanagan, Melbardis and Elliot De La Torre.
Stevenson and Vassar battled through three tie scores and two lead changes in the third set. The Mustangs gained a slight advantage at the 9-8 mark with a kill from Melbardis before Vassar rattled off an 8-2 run to take an 11-16 advantage.
The margin would prove to be too much for the Mustangs, never narrowing the gap to less than five points. Staffer and Melbardis added kills for the Mustangs in the points that followed but Vassar ultimately took the frame 17-25.
Stevenson returned to its strong blocking ability in the fourth set, tallying eight block assists in the frame. The Mustangs jumped to a 10-6 lead with a five-point run which included kills from Flanagan and Stauffer and a block assist from Elliot De La Torre and Tanner Stauffer.
Stevenson rattled off an 8-1 run to take an19-11. Tanner Stauffer added an ace and while Tim Flanagan picked up 3 kills during the run. Flanagan and Aidan O'Brien also teamed up for a block assist during the streak. Vassar gave Stevenson some concern in the final stages of the frame with a 4-1 run, but Tanner Stauffer sent down a kill to stall the momentum. The Mustangs would take the set 25-17.
Number and Notes
What's Next
- Stevenson returns to MAC play, traveling to Chester, Pafor a tri-match with #6 Stevens and Widener on March 19. The first match is set for 11am against Widener.
