Oct. 11, 2011

Stony Brook, N.Y. - The Stony Brook University volleyball team will step out of conference play on Wednesday to take on the LIU Blackbirds. It will be the final non-conference match of the season for the Seawolves. First serve is set for 7 p.m.

Last time out
Senior Alicia Nelson (Apple Valley, Minn.) had a match-high 21 kills including six in the decisive fifth set as the Seawolves edged the Hartford Hawks 3-2 (25-21, 12-25, 25-22, 23-25, 18-16) on Sunday afternoon. Junior Greta Strenger (Woodbury, Minn.) added a career-high 17 kills.

Nelson also had 14 digs, her third straight double-double and sixth in the last seven games. Sophomore Evann Slaughter (Clinton, Md.) chipped in with 16 kills to go along with five block assists and Strenger hit a team-high .353.

Freshman Laura Hathaway (Warsaw, N.Y.) tied a season-high with 27 digs and senior Kelsey Sullivan (Hamilton, Va.) set a career-high with 56 assists to go along with four blocks. The Seawolves (9-9, 3-2 AE) have gone to five sets in seven of their last eight matches and are 6-3 in five-sets this season.

Scouting LIU
LIU (11-10, 5-1 NEC) has won six straight following sweeps against St. Francis (N.Y.) and Hofstra last week. The Blackbirds sit in second place in the Northeast Conference.

Hanna Gibeau is averaging a team-best 4.17 kills per set while Annika Foit is averaging 3.64 kills per set with a hitting percentage of .250. Jessica Rice leads the Blackbirds with 1.33 blocks per set.

The Seawolves defeated LIU, 3-2, last season at Pritchard Gymnasium. Nelson had 16 kills and Slaughter had eight kills and four block solos.