Stony Brook Volleyball returned to the win column on the road against UMBC Friday night, winning the match in straight sets and only trailing for seven serves the entire night.
The team came out strong, winning the first set 25-17. After an early 4-2 deficit, Stony Brook did not trail again in the rest of the set. Junior middle blocker McKyla Brooks registered five of her 12 kills in the opening set. Brooks’ 12 kills and .600 kill percentage led all players in the match.
The team overcame a two-point deficit in the second game with an eight-point rally. Senior middle blocker Cydney Bowman picked up a pair of kills in the run. Bowman had 10 kills on the night, the third-most of all players, and a .526 kill percentage.
Stony Brook never trailed in the third set. Bowman had the first kill of the game and the Seawolves went on to dominate. The team led by as much as 10 in the third set, and ultimately finished things off with a 25-21 win to sweep the match.
The Seawolves led the match in every statistical category except blocks, in which they tied with the Retrievers at five apiece. This was also the case in the two teams’ prior matchup on Oct. 1 at Stony Brook, which the Seawolves also won in straight sets.
The Seawolves had their third-most efficient match of the season on Friday night, converting .287 of kills. The team leads the America East Conference in killing percentage, averaging .213 per match.
The Seawolves are now 4-3 in conference play and a game ahead of fifth-place Binghamton. The win was Stony Brook’s first win since Oct. 10 and ensured a sweep of the season series against UMBC.
The team returns to action with another conference match-up this Sunday, Oct. 29, on the road at Hartford. Stony Brook defeated Hartford 3-1 when they met earlier in the season at Pritchard Gymnasium. With five games remaining in the season, the fourth-place Seawolves are in good position for a playoff push.
