Oct. 17, 2010

Final Stats

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Junior Alicia Nelson (Apple Valley, Minn.) led three Seawolves in double-figures with a game-high 21 kills but the Binghamton Bearcats rallied from a 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 victory (23-25, 14-25, 25-18, 25-16, 17-15) over the Stony Brook University volleyball team on Sunday afternoon at Pritchard Gymnasium. Stony Brook falls to 7-14 overall and 2-3 in the America East with the loss while Binghamton improves to 9-11 and 4-1.

Nelson just missed out on a double-double as she recorded nine digs. Senior Ashley Headen (Alexandria, Va.) recorded 18 kills and eight digs while freshman Evann Slaughter (Clinton, Md.) had 10 kills. Senior Jeanette Gibbs (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) led Stony Brook with 15 digs.

The first set was close all the way, with neither team taking more than a two-point lead until a Headen kill put the Seawolves in front 19-16. Binghamton rallied to take a 23-22 lead but a kill from freshman Hailee Herc (Eden, N.Y.) tied the set at 23 before Headen gave the Seawolves a 1-0 lead with back-to-back kills.

Stony Brook dominated the second set, jumping to an 11-5 lead. Binghamton closed within 12-7 but the Seawolves scored eight of the next 12 points to take a 20-11 advantage. The Bearcats got no closer than eight the rest of the way as SBU took a 2-0 lead. The Seawolves hit .450 in the second set.

Set three was close in the early going; with Stony Brook taking an 11-10 lead on a Nelson kill. Binghamton answered with a 10-3 run though, to take a 20-14 lead. SBU scored the next two points to close within four but that is as close as they got as Binghamton went on to the seven-point victory to close within 2-1.

The fourth set was also close most of the way as the score was tied at 14 following a service error by Julie Chambers. But Binghamton responded with a 9-1 spurt to make it 23-15. The Bearcats closed out the set a few points later on a block from Chambers and Alex Roland.

SBU took command early in the fifth set, jumping to an 8-2 lead behind two kills from Nelson. Binghamton cut the lead to 10-8 on a Michelle McDonough kill but Headen and freshman Kaitlin Costello (Webster, N.Y.) then combined a block and freshman Masa Balandzic (Pljevlja, Montenegro) followed with a service ace.

A kill from Nelson made it 14-11 before the Bearcats scored three straight points to tie it at 14. Nelson answered with a kill but three straight kills from Anna Lejina gave Binghamton the set and the match.

Lejina led the Bearcats with 20 kills. McDonough recorded a double-double (15 kills, 11 digs) while Xiomara Ortiz registered a team-high 12 digs.

The Seawolves return to action on Friday, hosting Hartford at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 7 p.m.