Sept. 5, 2009

Harvard Box Score
Colgate Box Score

Cambridge, Mass. - In the final day of the Harvard Invitational, Stony Brook University's volleyball team picked up its first win of the season with a convincing 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-17) defeat of Colgate on Saturday. The Seawolves dropped their first match of the day to Harvard, 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 20-25, 25-18). Stony Brook was led offensively by senior Harmonie Calinda (Huntington, N.Y.) who averaged 5.00 kills per set on the day, while senior Lindsey Gordon (N. Patchogue, N.Y.) and junior Ashley Headen (Alexandria, Va.) both recorded nine blocks.

The first set between Stony Brook and Colgate started off as a back-and-forth battle with neither team able to take a commanding lead. Behind the offense of senior Lisa Doremus (Glendale, Ariz.), who recorded seven kills in the set, Stony Brook found itself leading late, 18-17. The Seawolves then went on a 5-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back kills from freshman Sally Downs (Coppell, Texas), to open the largest lead of the set. Doremus and Downs each pitched in one more kill as the Seawolves held off Colgate for the 25-20 win.

In the second set it was Headen's turn to pace the offense, converting on five of her six attack attempts for a .833 hitting percentage. SBU hit .304 as a team as they cruised to the 25-16 victory.

Colgate would not go quietly though, as the Seawolves found themselves trailing, 9-6, in the third set. However, behind a trio of kills and a one block from Doremus and Headen, Stony Brook stormed back, taking an 11-9 advantage and never looking back. Calinda had a set-high five kills while senior Jamie Watson (New City, N.Y.) had seven digs in the set.

In their first match of the day, the Seawolves registered more kills, a higher attack percentage, more digs and more blocks than Harvard, but the Crimson still managed to pull out a 3-1 victory. Calinda started the day off with eight kills and a .471 attack percentage in the first set, but Stony Brook committed 11 total errors in the frame as Harvard won, 25-19.

Harvard rode the momentum of the first set into the second as they jumped on the Seawolves early. The Crimson extended their lead to as many as seven at 20-13 before the Seawolves mounted a comeback. Highlighted by a pair of kills from both Doremus and Headen, SBU went on a 10-4 run to pull within one point at 24-23. The Seawolves' rally fell just short, however, as Lily Durwood registered her 13th assist of the frame on Anne Ingersoll's set-ending kill.

Behind an all-around effort on the offensive and defensive side, Stony Brook rallied for a 25-20 win in the third set. Calinda had seven put-aways and a .467 hitting percentage. Her offense was timely as well, as four of her kills came with either the Seawolves trailing or needing to put an end to a run being made by Harvard. Junior Jeanette Gibbs (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) led the way defensively with eight digs, while Gordon notched two blocks, including the set winner with Calinda.

Harvard turned up the defense in the fourth set, however, registering five team blocks on its way to a 25-18 win.

Stony Brook's next match will be against Long Island rival Hofstra in Hempstead, N.Y. on Tuesday. The match is set to begin at 7:00 p.m.