Sept. 11, 2010

Harvard Box Score
Fordham Box Score

Bronx, N.Y. - Junior Alicia Nelson (Apple Valley, Minn.) tallied a game-high 18 kills including four in the decisive fifth set as the Stony Brook University volleyball team outlasted the Fordham Rams, 3-2, (17-25, 25-21, 24-26, 25-18, 23-21) at the Rose Hill Classic on Saturday night. The Seawolves defeated the Harvard Crimson Tide, 3-1, (25-19, 25-19, 20-25, 25-21) in their first match of the day and took second place in the four-team Rose Hill Classic. Stony Brook is now 4-7 on the season.

Nelson added 10 digs against the Rams as she put together her fourth double-double of the season. Senior Ashley Headen (Alexandria, Va.) added 15 kills while senior Jeanette Gibbs (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) registered a team-high 13 digs.

The Rams jumped to a 1-0 lead against SBU, scoring the last six points of the set. Fordham led most of the way in set two with the Seawolves taking their first lead of the match, 21-20, on a kill from freshman Evann Slaughter (Clinton, Md.). Fordham tied the match at 21 but Nelson answered with a kill to spark a 4-0 SBU spurt that tied the match at one.

Set three was close all the way with neither team taking more than a three-point lead until a Ram attack error gave the Seawolves a 21-17 advantage. Stony Brook eventually took a 24-20 lead but the Rams scored six straight points to take a 2-1 lead.

SBU jumped to a 17-10 lead in set four and Fordham got no closer than five the rest of the way as Stony Brook evened the match at two. The Seawolves grabbed a 10-7 advantage in the 15-point deciding set before the Rams rallied to take a 14-13 advantage.

Stony Brook staved off match point though on a kill from Headen. The teams then traded points until, with the match tied at 21, Gibbs and Headen connected on back-to-back kills to give the Seawolves the victory. SBU hit .320 in the final set.

The Seawolves jumped on Harvard early, grabbing a 15-7 lead behind four kills from Headen. The Crimson Tide closed within 19-17 but sophomore Greta Strenger (Woodbury, Minn.) and Gibbs followed with back-to-back kills. Headen gave SBU a 1-0 lead a few points later with her fifth kill of the set.

Set two was close most of the way with Stony Brook scoring six of the final eight points of the set to pull away for the 25-19 victory. Fordham led all the way in the third set, taking a 17-10 advantage before eventually holding on for the five-point win.

But Stony Brook closed out the Crimson Tide in the fourth set, breaking a 17-all tie by scoring five of the next six points. Harvard got within 23-20 but kills from Nelson and Slaughter gave Stony Brook the victory. Nelson finished with a game-high 18 kills while Gibbs recorded a team-best 16 digs.

The Seawolves return to action next weekend at the Marriot Cavalier Classic.