Springfield, Mass. – February 24, 2024 – In a showdown of two of the top-ranked programs in the nation, the Springfield College men's volleyball team was defeated by Stevens in four sets on Saturday in Blake Arena.  Stevens prevailed by the scores of 23-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-23. 
 
Stevens, who is the defending national champion, entered the match ranked second in this week's AVCA/NVA Division III National Poll and won its 15th-straight match to move to 18-1. Springfield, ranked fourth in the same poll, had its 13-match winning streak snapped and lost its first Division III match of the season to slip to 13-2.

Chris Rouleau (Bay Shore, N.Y.) totaled 12 kills at a .625 clip in the middle to go along with a match-best six blocks for the Pride, while Sam Levinson (La Grange, Ill.) totaled 12 kills and four blocks of his own. Dylan Mulvaney (Reston, Va.) registered 35 assists, four blocks, and three aces as Springfield hit .295 in the setback.

Koby Sherman was the difference in the match for Stevens as he terminated 24 kills at a .447 hitting percentage on the right side.  Louden Moran led the Ducks to a .346 hitting percentage with 43 assists and Percy Bickford contributed 14 kills. 

The visitors jumped out to a 5-1 lead, but Springfield would battle back to take a 12-11 lead when Mulvaney's serve painted the back line for an ace.  The Pride would build a 17-14 lead after Giancarlo Carrion (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico ) pumped back-to-back aces down the line, only to have the Ducks answer back with a 3-1 push to knot things up at 18 on a Sherman ace.  Springfield would earn set point at 24-22 on the fifth attack error of the set by the Ducks before Ethan Walters (St. Louis, Mo.) hammered a kill in system for the 25-23 win.  

After Levinson put away a kill to tie the second set at 3-3, two Sherman kills bookended a 3-0 push to give the visitors the lead for good.  Stevens would produced 16 kills at a .556 hitting percentage to cruise to the 25-16 win and even up the match at a set apiece. 

Stevens was in control of the third set, leading 23-15 following a Pride attack error.  However, Springfield would get a sideout kill from Rouleau, and thanks to some tremendous serving from Carter Durivage (East Greenbush, N.Y.), would pull within 23-20.  Consecutive attack errors by the Ducks would later make it a 24-23 contest, but the Pride's fifth service error of the set completed the 25-23 frame.  

The Pride called for timeout trailing 9-5 in the fourth, but once again made a late surge as back-to-back errors by Stevens allowed the hosts to get within 23-22.  The teams would trade kills before Stevens put away their 15th kill of the set as they held on for another 25-23 win.  Sherman buried eight kills in the final set to lead the way. 
 
On Wednesday, Springfield will host nationally-ranked Nichols in a 7 pm tilt in Blake Arena.
 
For the latest on Springfield College Athletics, follow the Pride on social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.