Sept. 4, 2009

Box Score

Cambridge, Mass. - Despite posting season highs in kills, attack percentage, digs and aces, Stony Brook University's volleyball team lost to Toledo on Friday, 3-2 (18-25, 16-25, 25-21, 25-23, 15-13), in its first match of the Harvard Invitational. Senior Harmonie Calinda (Huntington, N.Y.) (23 kills, 21 digs) and freshman Corinne Perry (Northport, N.Y.) (54 assists, 11 digs) both posted double-doubles for the Seawolves. With the loss, Stony Brook falls to 0-5 on the year while Toledo improves to 4-0.

Behind a team-high five kills from senior Lisa Doremus (Glendale, Arizona), Stony Brook grabbed an early 1-0 lead with a 25-18 victory in set one. Eight of the Seawolves' first 12 points came on kills as the team registered a .343 attack percentage for the set. While the offense gave the Seawolves the early advantage, it was back-to-back blocks by Perry and senior Lindsey Gordon (N. Patchogue, N.Y.) which gave SBU its largest lead of the match at 18-8. Toledo did pull within four at 19-15, but Stony Brook's defense proved to be too much, allowing the Rockets only three more points the rest of the way.

In set two, it was Calinda and junior Ashley Headen's (Alexandria, Va.) turns to pace the offense, recording seven and five kills respectively. Stony Brook's attack was even more efficient than in the first set, committing just three errors on 42 total attempts. Once again, the Seawolves dominated play as they never trailed in the set on their way to a decisive 25-16 win.

Opening the third set with a 5-1 lead, it appeared Stony Brook was on the verge of winning its first match of the season. The Seawolves went on to extend their lead to 20-11 before the Rockets went on a 12-0 run, however, taking advantage of seven misplays by Stony Brook, before pulling out the 25-21 victory.

Stony Brook seemed to shake off the disappointment of the third set rather quickly, battling back-and-forth with Toledo in the fourth, before pulling ahead 15-13 on a kill from Calinda. In a match that saw 12 ties, Stony Brook managed to stay in the lead until the Rockets received back-to-back kills by Sarah Wilson and Liz Sundburg to move in front, 23-22. SBU knotted things back up at 23-23, but Toledo held the Seawolves off to tie the match at two sets a piece.

In set five, it was Toledo's turn to jump out to the early lead and Stony Brook's turn to fight its way back. Finding themselves trailing, 5-1, the Seawolves received a pair of kills from both Calinda and freshman Sally Downs (Coppell, Texas) on the way to tying the score at 6-6. With things still knotted at 11-11, the two teams traded kills as the final six points of the match were all on spikes. Unfortunately for Stony Brook, Toledo's combination of Sondra Parys and Amber Deweerdt combined for four of those six kills as the Rockets pulled out the 15-13 victory.

Both Headen and Gordon joined Calinda in double-figures with kills, registering 11 and 13 respectively, while Doremus and junior Jeanette Gibbs (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) had 15 and 17 digs.

Stony Brook has two matches on Saturday, facing host Harvard at 1:00 p.m. before playing Colgate at 4:00 p.m.