Oct. 25, 2009

Final Stats

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Following a 3-0 defeat at the hands of UMBC on Friday night, Stony Brook University's volleyball team returned the favor on Sunday afternoon, sweeping the Retrievers, 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-21). Senior Harmonie Calinda (Huntington, N.Y.) paced the Seawolves offense with 16 kills while also recording 12 digs. With the victory, Stony Brook improves to 11-11 (3-3 America East) while UMBC drops to 12-9 (4-2).

Things did not start well for the Seawolves as UMBC rattled off the first four points of the match. SBU bounced right back, however, scoring six of the next seven points to move in front 6-5. Stony Brook received kills from five different players during the rally. The two teams then traded points back-and-forth with UMBC eventually taking a two point advantage at 17-15. Stony Brook then scored five straight, highlighted by back-to-back blocks by junior Ashley Headen (Alexandria, Va.), to jump back in front, 20-17. The Retrievers pulled back within one at 20-19, but SBU's offense, which recorded 17 kills to UMBC's ten, was too much as the Seawolves held on for the 25-20 win. Senior Lindsey Gordon (N. Patchogue, N.Y.) recorded a set-high five kills without committing an error.

Stony Brook put itself in an early hole again at the start of the second set and trailed throughout the majority of the first half of play. Behind 12-9, the Seawolves used a 6-2 run, which featured three-straight points from Gordon including two aces, to take a 15-13 advantage. UMBC responded quickly, rattling off three points to move back in front. Similar to the first set, the two teams traded the lead back-and-forth before UMBC found itself one point shy of winning at 24-23. However, a kill by freshman Greta Strenger (Woodbury, Minn.) tied the score and an error by UMBC put the Seawolves within one point of a victory. Strenger then converted on her seventh kill of the set to put the Seawolves in front two sets to none.

For the third-straight set UMBC took early control and maintained a lead over the Seawolves throughout the majority of the game. After a kill from Headen pulled the Seawolves within three at 16-13, Calinda took control of the set, recording four of the Seawolves' next five kills. Freshman setter Corinne Perry (Northport, N.Y.) continued to feed the hot hand as the Seawolves took their first lead at 17-16 and extended it to 20-17 on Calinda's seventh kill of the set. UMBC would fight back to tie the score at 20-20, but it committed three errors down the stretch and Headen came up with another big block as Stony Brook held on for the 25-21 win.

Strenger and Gordon joined Calinda in double-digits for kills with 13 and ten respectively while junior Jeanette Gibbs (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) dug a match high 15 balls. Perry set a new career-high for assists in a three set match with 43, improving upon her previous best by eight.

Stony Brook's four-game homestand continues on Sunday when the Seawolves host Hartford at 1:00 p.m.