Sept. 3, 2010

Final Stats

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Junior Alicia Nelson (Apple Valley, Minn.) tallied a team-high 12 kills including three in a 14-point set two victory but the Yale Bulldogs won the final two sets on their way to a 3-1 (25-16, 11-25, 25-19, 25-19) win over the Stony Brook University volleyball team on Friday night at the Yale Invitational. Stony Brook falls to 0-5 with loss while the Bulldogs go to 1-0.

Senior Jeanette Gibbs (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) and sophomore Greta Strenger (Woodbury, Minn.) led Stony Brook with 13 digs apiece. Nelson added 11 digs as she recorded her second double-double of the season. Sophomore Corinne Perry (Northport, N.Y.) had 27 assists for the Seawolves, who held Yale to a .184 hitting percentage.

Stony Brook jumped to a 9-4 lead in the opening set and still led 15-12 following a kill from senior Ashley Headen (Alexandria, Va.). But the Bulldogs then went on a 10-0 run, highlighted by four kills from Bridget Hearst, to take a 22-15 lead.

A Nelson kill ended the spurt but Yale scored the next three points to earn the set one win. Stony Brook dominated set two, jumping to a 10-2 lead behind three kills from Nelson and two aces from Perry.

The Seawolves eventually stretched their lead to 21-8 on back-to-back aces from Gibbs, who later closed the set out with consecutive kills. Stony Brook hit .391 in the set.

Set three was close early as the Seawolves trailed by one, 12-11, following a Yale attack error. But the Bulldogs responded with five straight points, two on kills from Hearst, to take a six-point lead. The Bulldogs eventually took a 21-12 advantage before Stony Brook scored seven of the next nine points to get within 23-19.

But Haley Wessels answered with a kill before Yale closed out the set on a Seawolves attack error. Stony Brook took a 10-7 lead in set four behind three early kills from Nelson.

SBU still led 12-10 following another Nelson kill before the Bulldogs ran off 10 straight points to take control. The Seawolves sliced the Yale lead to 20-17 on an ace from Perry but Yale scored five of the next seven points to clinch the set and the match.

Hearst led Yale with 16 kills while Kelly Ozurovich recorded a game-high 22 digs. Kendall Polan dished out 41 assists for the Bulldogs.

The Seawolves continue play in the Yale Invitational on Saturday, taking on Rhode Island at 11 a.m. before facing off against Quinnipiac at 5 p.m.