The New York University men's volleyball team upended #2 Stevens Institute of Technology in a United Volleyball Conference (UVC) matchup on Wednesday, February 27, at the Brooklyn Athletic Facility.

The Violets (7-6, 4-1) dropped the first set, but rallied to take the next three.

The Ducks (13-2, 4-1) came into the match ranked #2 in the nation in the latest AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) Top-15 Poll.  

The first set was tight throughout as the teams consistently traded points. Finally, with Stevens leading 20-19, the Ducks managed consecutive points for the set's first three-point lead. NYU again pulled with one at 23-22, but Stevens managed to record the final two points to take the opening set 25-22.

In the second set, NYU managed to get out to a four-point lead, 12-8. The Ducks climbed within two, 17-15, but the Violets ended the set on an 8-3 run to post the 25-18 victory. 

The pivotal third set was similar to the first, as neither team could get any separation from the other in the early stages. Both squads had leads, but not by more than two points until the Violets managed to go up by three, 12-9. After the Ducks pulled within one, the Violets extended the lead to six, 17-11. 

Stevens cut its deficit to three, 19-16, but NYU scored the next five points and went on to produce another 25-18 victory.   

The hosts never trailed in the final set, racing out to a 9-4 lead. The Ducks only managed to get as close as three points as NYU dominated the remainder of the set in cruising to a 25-13 final score.   

"After the first set, we needed the guys to refocus and play at the level that they are capable of physically while staying mentally focused," explained Head Coach Jose Pina. "I think that's exactly what we saw tonight."

The Violets hit at a.315 pace in the match, while the Ducks only managed a .086 hitting percentage.

Alex Li was dominant both at the net (15 kills, .323 pct.) and with his service (three aces). He also led the Violets with eight digs.

Neil Ferraro had two less kills (13), but only committed three errors for a whopping .556 hitting percentage. Tyler Flood contributed eight kills, attacked at a.462 clip and assisted on a team-best five blocks.

Matin Bikdeli totaled a match-high 37 assists. 

"Our players executed the game plan they were given," Pina said. "They know how good they are physically. They also had an urgency to win a big game against one of the top teams in the country. We are good enough to do that on any night, but we must do it consistently."   

The Violets return to action this Saturday, March 2, when they travel to Troy, NY, to face The Sages College. That UVC matchup is scheduled to begin at 2:00pm.