The Finals are Set! Top Seeds Stevens and New Paltz to Square Off for UVC Title
The top two seeds in the UVC tournament will play for a title Sunday afternoon as both advanced courtesy of 3-1 wins earlier today at Caldwell University. Here's how the Semifinal matches played out Saturday -
#1 Stevens 3, #4 NYU 1
On a day when
David Lehman and
Grant Burden both surpassed personal milestones, Stevens used a balanced attack to defeat NYU in four sets, advancing to their sixth UVC Championship final in program history. After splitting the first two sets, the Ducks would pair identical 25-20 set wins in the third and fourth to advance to the championship match.
Lehman, the recently-crowned UVC Player of the Year, led the way offensively with 22 kills and in the process surpassed 1,000 kills for his career. Burden posted 48 assists and also went over the 1,000 plateau in the win. Stevens will now take on second-seeded New Paltz in Sunday's championship final.
Earlier this season, Stevens defeated New Paltz in a thrilling five-set match. That win, ultimately, gave the Ducks the regular season title and afforded them the oportunity to host this weekend's UVC Tournament.
#2 New Paltz 3, #3 St. John Fisher 1
Three New Paltz student-athletes posted double-digit kills and the Hawks used a styfling defensive attack to knock off Fisher in four sets tonight at Caldwell University in one UVC Tournament Semifinal. Bradley Schneider led the way with 14 kills for New Paltz, as they limited Fisher to just a .138 hitting percentage in the win.
New Paltz won the first two sets, before Fisher would take the third set. The Hawks would rebound to post a 25-16 fourth set win to advance to the UVC Championship Final. The Hawks will now take on top-seeded Stevens Sunday afternoon.
2019 UVC VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Friday, April 12
First Round
No. 4 NYU 3, No. 5 MIT 0
No. 3 St. John Fisher 3, No. 6 Vassar 1
Saturday, April 13th
Semifinal Round
No. 1 Stevens 3, No. 4 NYU 1
No. 2 New Paltz 3, No. 3 St. John Fisher 1
Sunday, April 14th
Championship Final
2pm - No. 1 Stevens vs. No. 2 New Paltz
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com and
https://youtu.be/wzL4HcDoUUQ