The Stony Brook Volleyball team headed to the Columbia invitational on Saturday looking to pick up two quick wins and get back on the winning track. They did just that, sweeping Marist in the first game, 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-19), then defeating Columbia in the second, 3-1 (24-26, 25-17, 25-18, 25-15).’ ‘
Juniors Ashley Headen (Alexandria, VA.) and Jeanette Gibbs (Port Jefferson, NY.) paced the Seawolves, with Headen totaling a team-high 24 kills and seven blocks on the day, and Gibbs notching a career-high 34 digs against Columbia. Stony Brook is now 4-8, looking to stay in the win column as it continues this long 13-game stint away from home. ‘
Despite a slow start in the first set against Marist, the Seawolves put together a scoring run to transform a 9-5 deficit into a 14-12 lead. A Marist timeout ensued but the Seawolves kept the pressure on. Behind stingy defense and senior Lindsey Gordon’s (N. Patchogue, N.Y.) .714 hitting percentage, Stony Brook gave up only 3 more points in the set and cruised to the easy 25-15 win.’ ‘
With a 1-0 lead, Stony Brook did not let up. After taking control of the second set with an early 6-1 lead, the Seawolves went up by as many as 21-10 on a Gibbs ace. But Marist would not go down without a fight, battling back to get as close as 22-19 due to a variety of Stony Brook errors. However, the Seawolves managed to escape the late rally, taking the set 25-21 and grabbing the 2-0 lead. ‘
The third set showed more Seawolves dominance. A 12-4 run early on blew the set open, and kills from the dynamic duo of Headen and Harmonie Calinda (Huntington, NY.) carried Stony Brook to a 25-19 win. Calinda saw her streak of consecutive double-doubles end at ten matches, recording 10 kills and nine digs. However, the Seawolves took the win and the sweep was their second of the season. ‘
Stony Brook headed into the second game without Calinda. The team’s leading attacker was sidelined with an injured knee, but the Seawolves offense made a joint effort to fill her shoes by jumping out to an early lead against the hosts of the tournament, the Columbia Lions. The margin swelled to 17-10, before the home team rallied and surprised the Seawolves by taking the first set, 26-24. ‘
Facing a 0-1 hole, the Seawolves struggled early in the second set before a quick scoring spurt gave them an 8-4 lead.’ Stony Brook also protected the net, totaling four blocks and making it difficult for the Lions to get in a rhythm offensively. A few Headen kills later, the Seawolves took the set 25-17 and evened the score at one set all. ‘
The third showed more of the same, with the Seawolves struggling early, then battling back fiercely to take the lead for good. The Stony Brook defense contributed to a poor .114 hitting percentage for the Lions, and the eventual 25-18 set win.
In the fourth, the Seawolves went largely unchallenged. Finally striking first by grabbing a quick lead, Stony Brook never looked back and cruised to an easy 25-15 win, sealing the deal and taking home the game. ‘
Calinda’s absence made room for freshman Greta Strenger (Woodbury, MN.) to step up, as she led the Seawolves with 15 kills in the game. ‘
Stony Brook looks to build on this momentum as it travels to Manhattan College on Tuesday evening, with the first serve slated for 7:00 p.m.’
