Oct. 24, 2010

Final Stats

West Hartford, Conn. - Senior Ashley Headen (Alexandria, Va.) tallied a game-high 19 kills and senior Jeanette Gibbs (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) recorded a season-best 23 digs but Michelle Cordell and Kami Nethersole each had 11 kills to lead the Hartford Hawks to a 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-23, 25-23) victory over the Stony Brook University volleyball team on Sunday afternoon. Stony Brook falls to 8-15 overall and 3-4 in the America East with the loss.

Junior Alicia Nelson (Apple Valley, Minn.) had 14 kills for the Seawolves, who held Hartford to a .181 attack percentage. Headen hit .429 for the match while junior Kelsey Sullivan (Hamilton, Va.) dished out 42 assists.

The first set was tight all the way, with neither team leading by more than three. Stony Brook led 20-19 following a Hartford attack error before the Hawks scored three straight points to take a 22-20 advantage. Stony Brook tied it at 23 on a block from freshman Evann Slaughter (Clinton, Md.) and sophomore Greta Strenger (Woodbury, Minn.) but Hartford answered with a kill from Dionna Kirton before taking the set on a Stony Brook attack error.

Stony Brook fell behind 8-3 early in the second set but scored nine of next 12 points to take a 12-11 lead. Hartford eventually took a 17-15 advantage but the Seawolves responded with a 6-2 spurt capped by a service ace from Gibbs. Hartford got no closer than two the rest of the way as SBU tie the match at one.

The third set also went back and forth, with the Seawolves going in front 13-11 on a kill from Slaughter. But Hartford then went on a 10-4 run to take a 21-17 lead and force a Stony Brook timeout. The Hawks got within a point of winning the set at 24-19 before three straight kills from Headen and a Lindsay Ford attack error brought Stony Brook within one.

But Nethersole answered with a kill to put the Hawks up two sets to one. The Seawolves jumped to an 8-4 advantage in set four behind two aces from Gibbs. Hartford rallied though, taking a 16-13 lead on a Cordell block.

Stony Brook tied it at 16 on a block from freshman Kaitlin Costello (Webster, N.Y.) and Headen but a kill from Cordell put the Hawks on top for good. Stony Brook trailed 24-23 following a kill from Strenger but a Seawolves attack error gave Hartford the set and the match.

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