For the third season in a row, the Stony Brook women’s volleyball team’s year was ended by the same foe.
The sixth-seeded Seawolves (16-13, 9-9 CAA) traveled to Maryland to take on the third-seeded Towson Tigers (23-5, 14-4 CAA) on Thursday in a 2024 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Championship First Round matchup. Despite holding leads throughout the match, Stony Brook was never able to capture a set and suffered a season-ending sweep.
Trailing 5-2 straight from the get-go, head coach Kristin Belzung took a quick timeout. After the stoppage, the Seawolves went on a 6-1 run, fueled by a pair of kills by outside hitter Kali Moore to put the team ahead 8-6.
Towson immediately responded with two of its own, starting a stretch where the two sides traded shots, resulting in a 13-13 tie. A trio of self-inflicted wounds gave the Tigers the lead at 16-13, a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the set. Ahead 19-17, Towson embarked on a 4-0 run, capped off by a kill from middle blocker Ylenia De Mango. Two points later, outside hitter Zyare Abdul-Rahim delivered the final kill to give the Tigers a 25-18 set win.
Towson took an early lead in the second set as well. Abdul-Rahim and fellow outside hitter Victoria Barrett each came up with three kills to help the Tigers out to a 15-10 advantage. Trailing 16-11, Stony Brook put together a stretch of four unanswered scores — thanks to a pair of kills by setter Torri Henry — to cut its deficit to 16-15. Following a kill by Towson outside hitter Ava Nakai to pad its lead, Moore and Henry came through with a kill and an ace, respectively, to tie the set at 18.
Towson once again took a three-point lead, but the Seawolves stormed back with a 5-1 run, spearheaded by two kills from outside hitter Leoni Kunz to go up 24-22. Facing set point, the Tigers looked to their star. Barrett delivered in the clutch with consecutive kills to tie the set, before setter Kaitlyn Moran served an ace to take the lead. Nakai followed with the finishing blow to take a commanding 2-0 match lead with a 26-24 set victory.
Trying to keep its season alive, Stony Brook held a 10-9 lead in the third set before Towson took the lead for good. Abdul-Rahim started the run with a kill before Barrett and De Mango got in on the action for a 14-10 lead after five unanswered points. Towson outside hitter Sarah Callender committed two attack errors to bring the Seawolves within two at 17-15. Moore then gave a point back on an attack error, which jump started a 7-1 run and brought the game to match point. Abdul-Rahim gave Stony Brook a point with an error but promptly ended its season with her 12th kill of the night.
Belzung did not speak to the media after the game.
The Tigers nearly doubled the Seawolves in offensive efficiency, as their .314 hitting percentage demolished Stony Brook’s .165 clip. Kunz and outside hitter Quinn Anderson headed the Seawolves’ attack with seven kills apiece. Moore finished her season with a six-kill effort.
Henry dished out 22 assists to lead Stony Brook, while also serving a pair of aces and picking up five kills.
Moore led the defensive effort, tallying 13 digs while libero Julia Patsos closely followed with 12. Kunz contributed eight digs while Cigna chipped in seven.
Middle blocker Ayanna Pierre Louis led the effort at the net, tallying 1.5 total blocks with fellow middle blocker Mercedes Motton picking up the only solo block for the Seawolves.
Barrett put on a clinic with 19 kills, showing why she was tabbed as the CAA’s Player of the Year.
With its 2024 campaign now in the rearview mirror, Stony Brook will have questions to answer in the offseason, as Kunz, Henry, Patsos and middle blocker Abby Campbell have run out of eligibility.
