ORLANDO, Fla. - Playing their third match in two days, the Seawolves fought hard but came away with the loss on Saturday as they fell 3-0 (25-20 26-24, 25-22) to the hosts UCF in the final match of the Black and Gold Classic.
The Seawolves were again led by Ella Sanders and Quinn Anderson on offense as the duo picked up 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Sanders also led the team with nine digs, while Damisi Osibodu paced the squad with five blocks.
How It Happened
SET 1 | Down five early, the Seawolves nearly pulled even with the Knights halfway through the set as the offense rattled off 10 kills, including three from Avari Amstutz, to make it 14-13. Though 6-0 UCF run swung momentum back in its favor, Stony Brook fought back to within four as Taryn Su's first career service ace and kills three and four from Sanders helped make it 22-18. The Seawolves did not have one last push in them, though, as UCF held on for the win.
SET 2 | Stony Brook kept pace with the Knights throughout set two, even taking their first lead of the day as a solo block from Osiboud and an ace from Rayanne Wheat gave them a 5-3 lead. Strong serving was a constant throughout the frame, as aces from Amstutz and CJ Block would later keep it a tied game at 10-10, before back-to-back aces from Ayanna Pierre Louis grew the lead to 16-13. After the Knights went back in front and reached set point, Stony Brook got three straight kills from Sanders, Osibodu, and Anderson to tie it 24-24. Despite this late push, UCF ultimately outlasted Stony Brook and edged out the 26-24 win.
SET 3 | The Seawolves continued to keep UCF on the ropes in the third as continued effectiveness at the net from Osibodu and the team's seventh ace of the day courtesy of Block gave them a 10-7 lead. Just like in the previous two sets, however, the Knights began to pull away in the second half of the set as they soon went up 21-16. Stony Brook mounted one last attempt at a comeback as Osibodu racked up two more kills while Block had another ace and a kill to make it 24-22, but in the end UCF came out on top.
Notable Stats
- Sanders and Anderson both recorded double-digit kills in all three matches of the tournament, totaling 34 kills each. Sanders also had a pair of nine-dig performances to reach 24 total.
- In the first three matches in her career, Amstutz has recorded 18 kills and 13 digs.
- Block currently leads the team with 43 digs and four aces on the weekend, while Wheat is second in digs with 37 and first in assists with 50.
- Osibodu and Pierre Louis are tied for the team lead in blocks with 12 apiece.
Up Next
The Seawolves have one more stop to make in their trip to the Sunshine State as they head over to Gainesville for a ranked matchup with No. 17 Florida on Sunday at 1 p.m. The match will be livestreamed on SEC Network+.
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