HAMILTON, N.Y. - The Stony Brook volleyball team took the second set but ultimately fell in four sets to the UConn Huskies on Saturday afternoon at Cotterell Court. The loss would be the Seawolves first of the season, dropping their overall record to 4-1.
Leoni Kunz recorded a double-double on the day to lead the Seawolves' offense as she finished with a .219 hitting percentage.
Kali Moore added nine kills, while
Ayanna Pierre Louis and
Quinn Anderson each tallied eight. On the defensive end,
Julia Patsos and Anderson chipped in with 12 and 13 digs, respectively, to go with four blocks from Pierre Louis.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 | The Seawolves found themselves in an early hole, dropping the first set, 25-20. Stony Brook trailed by as many as eight points as UConn never surrendered the lead. The squad was able to piece together a four-point scoring run late in the stanza which brought them back within three. Moore led the team with three kills through the opening set.
SET 2 | Stony Brook responded with a 25-23 victory in set two, evening the match at one set each. The Seawolves racked up 17 kills over the course of the set, as the front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking four UConn attacks. The team persevered in a back-and-forth set that featured five lead changes and 10 ties.
SET 3 | UConn won the third set, 25-22, as they grabbed the advantage for good at 19-18. The Seawolves recorded their best performance of the day with .214 hitting but were unable to gain the lead and run away with it.
SET 4 | Similarly to the third, Stony Brook lost the final set, 25-22. UConn had an early advantage and the Seawolves were unable take the lead or keep a rally going. Pierre Louis and
Mercedes Motton tried to make a statement at the net but it wouldn't be enough to secure the set victory and bring it to the deciding set.
STATS AND NOTES
- Leoni Kunz registered her 18th career double-double with a team-high 12 kills and 21 digs. She added a pair of aces, one block, and one assist.
- Stony Brook had three players in double figures in digs (Kunz, Anderson, and Patsos).
- Torri Henry dished out a team-high 41 assists for the Seawolves in the loss.
- Ayanna Pierre Louis recorded a team-high four blocks.
QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES
"UConn did a great job of keeping us out of rhythm today," said head coach
Kristin Belzung postgame. "We weren't able to get ahead of them defensively and ultimately the result shows that. Colgate is going to be a tough and disciplined opponent tomorrow so we need to have a short memory."
NEXT UP
Stony Brook returns to action tomorrow at 2 p.m. as they take on Ellis Rowland Memorial Tournament host, Colgate. Coverage will be available on ESPN+.
For an inside look at the Seawolves volleyball program, be sure to follow them on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
