JAMAICA, N.Y. — After not playing against a team in another uniform since November 2019, the Stony Brook volleyball team took Big East-foe St. John's to five sets on Sunday afternoon at Carnesecca Arena.

But in the back-and-forth affair, the Red Storm earned a 3-2 win to spoil the Seawolves' 2021 spring season opener.

Stony Brook took a 2-1 lead into the fourth set, but the Johnnies forced a decisive fifth set with a 25-15 win. After the Seawolves earned the first point of the final set, the hosts rattled off a four-point run. Stony Brook then responded with a run of its own, evening the match at 5 apiece.

The sides exchanged points throughout the middle of the set before Stony Brook took a 10-9 lead. But the Johnnies answered with six of the set's final seven points, earning a 15-11 win to secure the match.

"Just having the opportunity to compete today felt really good," coach Kristin Belzung said. "There were a lot of new faces on the court for us. And while we would've loved to walk out with a win, this is a great starting point for us. We were balanced offensively, which I think will be a big strength for us, especially for how dynamic our attackers are. We are looking forward to a week to train before our home opener on Saturday against a really good Towson team."
  
The Seawolves (0-1) took the first set, 25-21, before the Johnnies (3-1) answered with a 30-28 win in the second set. Stony Brook took a 2-1 lead after the third set, but the hosts sent it to the fifth set with a dominant fourth set.
The Seawolves and Johnnies also went to five sets in 2017, when Stony Brook picked up a win at Carnesecca Arena.