STONY BROOK, N.Y. – The Stony Brook volleyball team made it six straight victories as it opened America East play with a four-set win over Hartford at Pritchard Gymnasium Friday night. The Seawolves move to 10-6 on the season, while Hartford falls to 3-12 on the year and 0-2 in league play.
Belzung's Reaction
"It was really nice to back at home tonight, in front of our home crowd. I thought the energy in the gym was fantastic, so it was really nice to come out and compete to get our first win in conference play," said head coach
Kristin Belzung. "Finishing in the fourth set was really good for our team. You could really see our confidence. Being down 23-21 and not being flustered was exciting as a coach to see."
Set-By-Set
- The Seawolves jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the opening set, forcing the Hawks to call an early timeout. Sophomore setter
LeAnne Sakowicz (Wauconda, Ill.) was able to sneak the ball over the net to make it 20-13, and tallied three straight aces to position Stony Brook for a commanding, 25-14, win.
- The Seawolves took control early in set two, but Hartford scored five straight points to tie things at 12 and force a Stony Brook timeout. Close play continued the rest of the way as the set saw four more ties, but the Hawks were able to close out for a 25-22 win.
- Stony Brook dominated in the third set, getting out to a 12-2 lead early on. A 6-0 run late in the set allowed the Seawolves to remain in control and earn a 25-12 win.
- The fourth set was a competitive one as both teams kept it close throughout. Neither team led by more than four points in the entire set. Five straight points for the Hawks saw them take a 19-15 lead heading into the final stretch of the set, but Stony Brook quickly got back within a point as Hartford called a timeout. The Seawolves did not see the lead again until breaking a 24-all tie on a kill from junior
Emily Costello (Webster, N.Y.). Back-to-back kills from Costello and senior
Cydney Bowman (Lake Mary, Fla.) sealed the win for Stony Brook.
Notes
-- Bowman made it back-to-back matches with double-digit kills.
-- Sophomore
Maria Poole (Stavanger, Norway) notched double-digit kills for the fourth time in the team's six-game win streak.
-- This is the fifth straight match Sakowicz has tallied 40-or-more assists.
-- Six straight wins is the most for the Seawolves since the 2014 season, when they tallied seven straight.
Up Next
Stony Brook remains at home to round out the weekend as it hosts UMBC on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 1 p.m.
