JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Nationally No.3 ranked Stevens Institute of Technology hit .493 as a team with 41 kills and only six attack errors as the Ducks swept host New Jersey City University in a non-conference men's volleyball match on March 23 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center ('Coach Charlie Brown Court').  Stevens prevailed by set scores of 25-8, 25-11, 25-22.
 
The Ducks won for the 11th consecutive outing to improve to 22-2 overall. Stevens did not commit an attack error in the first two sets, hitting .632 and .700 in the first two games before its reserves took over. NJCU fell to 8-12 with the loss.
 
Stevens had 16 of 19 players see action on a day it had an 81 percent sideout rate, including a perfect 100 percent in games one (9-for-9) and two (11-for-11). The .493 attack percentage (71 attempts) is an opponent season high. The Ducks had 12.0 blocks as a team.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Dylan DeBeor (Vernon Hills, Ill.) was one of two Stevens' players to see action in all three sets. He hit .611 with 11 kills and no errors (18 swings), adding four blocks and three aces. Sophomore outside Joshua Hinton (Richboro, Pa.) hit .308 in three games with five kills (5-1-13) and three blocks. Junior middle hitter Thomas Burrell (Somerset, N.J./St. Joseph's (Metuchen)) was a perfect 5-for-5 on attack (1.000) in one game.
 
Also for Stevens, freshman Mitch Brooks (Orinda, Calif.) hit .455 with seven kills and two blocks. Senior middle Alexander Carpenter (Delaware, Ohio) had four blocks in two sets. Stevens used three setters and senior Scott Russell (Newport Beach, Calif.), the second of the three, led with 15 assists and a .652 setting percentage.
 
NJCU had 22 kills overall but 22 attack errors. Freshman outside hitter J.J. Berdecia (West New York, N.J./Memorial) hit .235 with five kills (5-1-17). Freshman middle Christian Ramirez (West New York, N.J./Memorial) had six kills and freshman setter Jimmy Vega (Harrison, N.J./Harrison), the Skyline Rookie of the Week, handed out a match-high 17 assists.
 
Stevens never trailed at any point in the match. The Ducks hit .632 in the opening game with a line of 12-0-19 when they scored 10 of the first 13 points and led 13-4 after a 7-1 run. Stevens, with only some of its starters on the court in game two, improved that hitting percentage to a sizzling .700 with 14 winners (14-0-20) in 20 swings. A 7-1 run midway through the set allowed Stevens to pull away.
 
The third set saw the Ducks attack at a .281 clip but its mixed team of regulars and backups still amassed 15 kills. NJCU fought back from a 14-8 deficit to force eight ties, including 21-21 on a kill by freshman right side/middle hitter Julian Moreira (Miami, Fla./Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus), and trailed 23-22 after a Stevens service error, before the guests prevented the upset in game three, scoring the final two points.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series vs. Stevens: 44th meeting. Stevens leads, 30-14, and has won the last 28 meetings since February 1998.
• Stevens is ranked No. 3 nationally for the second straight week by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. The Ducks have been ranked either No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4 in all 10 weeks this season.
• The .493 attack percentage by Stevens eclipses the .484 clip by Nazareth (39-9-62) in a neutral match on February 18. It's the highest by an opponent since No. 2 New Paltz hit an opponent record .606 (50-7-71) against NJCU in New Paltz, N.Y. on April 9, 2014.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU plays a makeup with Wilkes University at home on Monday, March 27 at 7 p.m. The match is a makeup of a February 9 snowout. It will be the first meeting against the first-year Colonels.