The Stony Brook women’s volleyball team was no match for one of the Coastal Athletic Association’s (CAA) heavyweights.
The Seawolves (14-10, 7-7 CAA) traveled to Newark, Del. for a weekend series against the Delaware Blue Hens (15-6, 11-2 CAA). After winning Saturday’s first set, Stony Brook proceeded to drop the next six sets for consecutive 3-1 and 3-0 losses, respectively.
On Saturday, the opening set was initially a competitive affair until the Seawolves took control of the set with a 4-0 run to take a 10-7 lead. The Blue Hens tried to keep it close with a kill from setter Lily Rogers to cut the deficit 12-9. However, Stony Brook immediately responded with seven unanswered points to run away with the set. Outside hitter Leoni Kunz was the linchpin of the run with three kills while Delaware committed three attack errors to help the Seawolves’ effort. Stony Brook then put the set away with a 5-1 run for a 25-15 win.
The Blue Hens flipped the script in the second set. In a set which featured nine ties and four lead changes, setter Torri Henry tied the set at 22 points apiece with a kill. Delaware outside hitter Anna Logan Gillens gave her side a 23-22 lead before consecutive attack errors from Kunz and fellow outside hitter Kali Moore sealed the set for Delaware, tying the match at one set apiece.
Stony Brook started the third set with a 6-0 lead following kills from Kunz, Moore, outside hitter Quinn Anderson and middle blocker Ayanna Pierre Louis. Unphased, Delaware methodically worked its way back into the set, eventually taking a 14-13 lead after three straight points. The Seawolves responded with a run of their own, scoring four points thanks to the duo of Moore and Kunz and two Blue Hen attack errors for a 17-14 lead. Delaware outside hitter Savannah Seemans then went to work, registering three kills as part of an 11-2 run to win the set 25-19.
Delaware took the momentum into the fourth set, starting with a 5-2 lead. The Blue Hens held that lead until two kills from Moore and a kill from Anderson sparked a 5-1 run for the Seawolves. With Stony Brook now ahead with a 17-16 lead, the two sides traded blows until Seemans and middle blocker Kirah Johnson spearheaded a 5-0 run which flipped the game in Delaware’s favor, as it held a 24-20 advantage. Despite consecutive ensuing attack errors against the Blue Hens, Delaware libero Taylor Holly wrapped up Saturday’s match with a kill to grab a 25-22 set win and 3-1 match victory.
“Delaware is a well-rounded team, and you have to execute at a high level to beat them,” head coach Kristin Belzung said in a postgame interview with Stony Brook Athletics. “We put pressure on them by scrapping defensively but weren’t able to get in system enough to let our offense put us in position to win.”
On Sunday, the Seawolves did not fare any better. After Gillens came up with a pair of kills on a 7-2 opening run from the Blue Hens, Stony Brook closed the gap after a kill from middle blocker Abby Campbell and cut the deficit 23-21. Delaware middle blocker Gha’Naye Whitfield-Moss registered a kill and Kunz committed an attack error to give Delaware a 25-21 set win.
The following set was a similar story to the first, as Delaware grabbed an early 14-10. The Blue Hens extended their lead late into the set, going on a 3-0 run for a 23-17 lead. Delaware then threw the Seawolves a life ring, as it committed three consecutive errors to cut the margin to 23-20. However, outside hitter Raina Hughes came up with the penultimate point before she and Johnson went up for the set-winning block, sealing a 25-20 win for the Blue Hens.
With their back against the wall, Stony Brook started the third set strong with a 15-13 lead due to kills from the duo of Kunz and Moore. Immediately afterward, the Blue Hens went on a 5-0 run with a kill and service ace from Seemans, a kill from Gillen and attack errors from Moore and Kunz for a 18-15 lead. Delaware held strong to the lead for a 25-21 set win and completed the 3-0 sweep.
“Delaware is a really good team, and we allowed them to be in system too often today,” Belzung said. “That allowed them to have multiple weapons, making them hard to defend. I thought we did a better job in serve receive today which kept us in striking distance. We just weren’t able to close the gap. As we come to the end of the regular season, next weekend is huge and we’re excited to be back in Pritchard.”
Stony Brook recorded its worst offensive performance of the season, scoring a .174 hitting percentage. Kunz led the team with 28 kills followed by Moore’s 26 kills. Anderson was third on the team with 13 kills.
Henry recorded 76 assists to anchor the offense and 24 digs on the defensive end of the floor. Libero Julia Patsos registered 30 digs.
Kunz and Pierre Louis were tied in blocks with three assists each.
The Seawolves’ offense shot themselves in the foot with 44 total attack errors. Moore committed 20 attack errors followed by Kunz’s 13. Additionally, Kunz had five service errors.
Stony Brook will return home next weekend to take on the Towson Tigers, who are tied with the Blue Hens atop the CAA standings. Towson is 20-4 overall and 11-3 in conference play after sweeping Northeastern. The first serve for Saturday’s match is at 5 p.m., while Sunday’s match kicks off at 2 p.m.
