Stony Brook volleyball drops UNCW in five sets
Ella Sanders recorded a double-double with 15 kills and 19 digs as the Seawolves secured a 3-2 victory in Charlotte.
By Adewale Fletcher ·
Stony Brook University volleyball defeated the University of North Carolina Wilmington Seawolves 3-2 on Sunday in a match that went to a deciding fifth set. The win gives the Seawolves their first victory of the week against an ACC opponent. Ella Sanders led the team with 15 kills and 19 digs, marking her second consecutive match with a double-double. She also paced the squad with four service aces.
Mercedes Motton contributed 10 kills for Stony Brook, while Zayda Fuertez recorded 14 digs. At the net, Mopelola Ojo and Damisi Osibodu were tied with eight blocks apiece. The game was tightly contested, with neither team holding a comfortable lead for most of the five sets.
UNCW started the afternoon with an 8-1 advantage, but Stony Brook fought back to tie the score at 13-13. The Seawolves took control of the first set by scoring seven of the next 10 points to lead 20-16. Carey-Jean Block finished the set with the team's third ace. In the second set, the teams stayed within two points until the media timeout, with UNCW leading 15-14. Sanders added three points after the break to give Stony Brook a 19-17 lead, and Ojo closed the set with a block and a kill.
The Seawolves fell behind by nine points in the third set, reaching a 12-3 deficit. They mounted two 4-0 runs backed by kills and aces from Sanders and Block, but UNCW held on to take the frame. The fourth set followed a similar pattern, with UNCW opening a 7-2 lead. Stony Brook trailed 15-9 at timeout but used attack errors from the Seawolves and five combined kills from Avari Amstutz and Pierre Louis to tie the game at 22-22. UNCW maintained its lead to win the set.
The fifth set began with back-to-back aces from Fuertez and blocks from Osibodu, giving Stony Brook a 5-1 start. Although UNCW pulled within one at 7-6, Osibodu and Sanders extended the Seawolves' lead to four points. The teams tied the score at 14-14. Motton scored her 10th kill to make it 15-14, and a set error by UNCW gave Stony Brook the final point.
Stony Brook will play its final regular season road trip next week. The team travels to Buies Creek, N.C., for two matches against Campbell. The first game is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Nov. 6, and the second is set for 2 p.m. on Nov. 7. Both matches will be broadcast on FloCollege.
