The FrogJump Invitational, hosted this year by Juniata College from February 2-3, showcased teams from four schools, including Juniata, Carthage College, the University of Mount Union, and the Stevens Ducks.
Stevens now sits at a 6-7 all-time record against Carthage College following a 3-0 victory for the Ducks on Friday, February 2. A double-double by junior Koby Sherman and another 11 digs and a hitting percentage of 0.500 by graduate student Percy Bickford assisted in the team’s sets coming to 25-16, 25-20, and 25-20. Additionally, graduate students Nathan Lancia and Louden Moran made notable marks on the team’s victory with a respective nine kills and four digs and three kills and four digs.
The University of Mount Union proved more of a challenge when the Ducks were pushed into overtime in their first two sets on Saturday, February 3. Still, they managed set scores of 27-25 and 26-24, and 25-13 in their third, resulting in an undefeated 2-0 standing so far in the invitational. While the first set almost seemed guaranteed for the Ducks, who maintained an early lead, Mount Union fought back, scoring 14 out of 18 to get within a point of Stevens. Set two again saw an early lead of 10-7, although Mount Union was quick to tie it up. Then, while losing 22-23, Stevens managed four out of the last five, to bring their final score to 26-24. Their third set saw an initial score of 8-0, a margin that the Ducks would not only keep but also increase to guarantee their 3-0 win. In this game, Sherman recorded a season-high 23 kills, while first-year teammate Alex Olcott made a career-high 12.
In their second game of the day, the team faced the host, Juniata College, who had also previously beaten both Carthage and Mount Union. There, they achieved their second-largest hitting percentage of the year at 0.411, whereas Juniata only amassed a 0.299 percentage. The first set mostly saw traded points between the teams, until Stevens saw a score of 19-20. The Ducks then managed the next five out of six points to put them in a 24-21 lead. While Juniata managed another two before the set ended, Stevens clinched the victory due to a Juniata service error and saw a final score of 25-23. Their second set of the second match began with Stevens up by 10, with a score of 12-2. The Ducks once again maintained their lead and finished the set 25-9. The third set of this match was the Ducks’ first loss of the invitational, with Juniata scoring six of the final seven points that guaranteed them the win. Determined to secure the win, Stevens pulled off a final score of 25-22 in the fourth and final set of the match, ending the day with a 3-1 victory.
