After getting swept at home in its conference-opening series last weekend, the Stony Brook women’s volleyball team is looking to make up ground down south.
The Seawolves (4-8, 0-2 CAA) will travel down to South Carolina to take on the struggling Charleston Cougars (3-10, 0-2 CAA) for a two-match series this weekend. The first match is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, and the second match of the weekend will be at the same time on Sunday.
Though Stony Brook has the superior offense coming into the series, the unit cooled off this past weekend. The team is fourth in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) in points (16.48) and assists (11.91) per set. The unit is led by outside hitter Kali Moore, who currently sits fourth in the conference in kills (3.36) and points (4.13) per set.
Despite recording her second and third double-doubles of the year, Moore is coming off a rough weekend. She recorded 32 points against Northeastern, but only a .080 hitting percentage after 20 attack errors. Opposite Moore, outside hitter Leoni Kunz was dominant this past weekend. She led the Seawolves with 37 points on a .325 hitting percentage against the Huskies. She is the team’s second-leading scorer with 2.79 kills per set.
Kunz also has the second-highest hitting percentage for the Seawolves (.307), sitting only behind middle blocker Abby Campbell (.327). Campbell has had a solid senior season thus far, recording 102 points.
Setter Torri Henry is also coming off a big weekend. She totaled 102 total assists and 25 digs against Northeastern. Henry currently leads the CAA in assists per set with 10.51 and has racked up 16 service aces so far this season.
As a team, Stony Brook’s 12.60 kills per set is fifth-best in the conference. Their 2.09 aces per set are the second-most in the CAA. Moore leads the group with 19, followed by libero Julia Patsos, who has aced 17 of her serves. Defensive specialist Madison Cigna has racked up 13 aces, as well.
The Seawolves should not be contained by Charleston’s defense, as it is allowing the second-most kills (13.33) and assists (12.35) per set in the conference. The Cougars also allow the fifth-best opponent hitting percentage (.221) and the fifth-most aces per set (1.48) in the CAA. However, they are fourth in the conference in digs per set with 14.5.
Leading the way for Charleston’s defensive unit is middle blocker Sofie Vogel, who is eighth in the CAA in total blocks with 43. She also ranks ninth in the conference in hitting percentage (.311) and is third on the team with 88 kills.
The Cougars stand middle of the pack in the CAA in most offensive categories, but their .212 hitting percentage is the fourth-best figure in the conference. Charleston outside hitters Lexi Wierzbicki and Anna Smith will have to step up to take down Stony Brook. Wierzbicki sits at seventh in the CAA in kills per game with 3.2, while Smith is right behind her at eighth with 3.09.
Facilitating the offense will be Charleston setter Jasmin Goei, who has not been as effective as the other players at her position in the CAA. Her 5.83 assists per set ranks 10th in the conference.
The Seawolves may be able to hold up on the defensive side. They rank in the top half of the conference in most statistical categories, with its weaknesses being opponent hitting percentage (.223) and blocks allowed per set (2.07).
Stony Brook is fourth in the conference in opponent kills per set (11.74). The team also receives serves very well, as it surrenders the sixth-fewest service aces per set (1.35) in the CAA.
The Seawolves have also posted the second-most digs per set in the CAA with 14.67. Much of that can be attributed to Patsos’ work, who ranks second in the conference with 4.07 per set. Henry is second on the team with 108 digs, and Moore slightly trails her at 107.
After an unideal start to conference play, Stony Brook will look to get itself back on track before the whole gets too big to dig out of.
