It a battle of top-10 teams, there wasn't much separation. 

The #9-ranked New York University Men's Volleyball Team and #6 Stevens alternated victorious sets, with the Ducks taking the first, third and fifth to claim the two-hour, seven-minute victory on Wednesday, February 23, at the Brooklyn Athletic Facility. 

The United Volleyball Conference (UVC) opponents went toe-to-toe, with the Ducks (12-3, 2-0) handing the Violets (7-4, 3-1) their first conference loss of the season.

The first set was tight throughout. NYU managed one three-point lead, 15-12, while Stevens never led by more than two. Not surprisingly, the set went a bit overtime, with the Ducks claiming a 26-24 win.  

The second set was all NYU, as the Violets scored the first three points and never gave up the lead. Their advantage grew to as many as seven points on several occasions, completing the task with a 25-18 victory.

The third set (surprise, surprise) was another overtime affair, with this one lasting longer than the first. Stevens led 23-21, but three straight NYU points put the Violets on the brink of victory. However, that winning point became elusive and NYU could not close the deal. The Ducks staved off three set points and eventually won the set 30-28 on a kill by Connor Feulner.

It was win or go home for the Violets in the fourth set, and the home team wasn't quite ready to leave the gym. Though trailing early, the Violets turned a 9-8 deficit into a 13-9 lead with five straight points and never trailed again. The Ducks did pull within one late in the set, but Brian Kellogg's clinching kill gave NYU the 25-22 victory and sent the match into a deciding fifth set.    

Stevens seized control of the final set from the get-go, scoring the first two points. They then turned a slim 4-2 advantage into an insurmountable 10-3 lead and held on for a 15-7 win to capture the match. 

"It was a hard-fought match between two evenly-matched teams," offered Head Coach Jose Pina. "In game five, they made more key plays then we did early in the set. We were playing from behind and just couldn't catch up." 

BY THE NUMBERS:

- Gautham Dasari and James Haag each recorded a team-high 14 kills for the Violets.

- Kellogg also contributed double-digit kills (11) and hit a team-best .474.

"Brian was a game-changer for us," Pina added. "He played extremely well and kept us in the match."

- Ryan Whealen had a match-high 49 assists.

- Zach Knudsen led the defense with 16 digs.

The Violets return to action on Friday, February 25, when they travel to Poughkeepsie, NY, for another UVC battle against Vassar College. First serve is set for 7:00pm.