Volleyball Earns Road Win at Stony Brook, Sweeps Season Series

Friday, November 13

Stony Brook, N.Y.

5 PM

University of New Hampshire

18-8, 10-1AE

Stony Brook University

11-18, 5-6AE

New Hampshire

Stony Brook

Photo by: Greg Greene

Volleyball Earns Road Win at Stony Brook, Sweeps Season Series

11/13/2015 10:22:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

STONY BROOK, N.Y. -- Seniors Abby Brinkman (Brecksville, Ohio) and Cassidy Croci (Sylvania, Ohio) powered the offense to propel the University of New Hampshire volleyball team to a four-set win over Stony Brook University at Pritchard Gymnasium on Friday night.

The set scores were 25-21, 25-21, 23-25 and 25-18 in the America East win.

UNH improves its overall record to 18-8 and 10-1 in conference play. Stony Brook falters to 11-18, 5-6.

Croci unleashed a .333 hitting percentage for 11 kills while racking up five blocks. Brinkman slammed down a team-high 14 kills to pace the attack. Junior setter Keelin Severtson (Delray Beach, Fla.) posted a double-double performance of 41 assists and 11 digs. Ranking fourth in the nation with .53 service aces per set entering the match, Severtson tallied two service aces in the win. Tori Forrest (Powder Springs, Ga.), Madison Lightfoot (Clarkston, Mich.) and Demi Muses (Orangevale, Calif.) all recorded 14 digs to backbone UNH's 60-dig effort. New Hampshire's nine blocks stymied Stony Brook's offense to hit .185 in the match.

The Seawolves were led by a pair of double-double efforts from sophomore middle blocker Cydney Bowman and senior setter Nicole Vogel. Bowman logged 11 kills and 16 digs while Vogel chalked up 17 assists and 13 digs. Senior outside hitter Kathy Fletcher slammed a match-high 16 kills to pace the offense for the Seawolves. Freshman middle blocker Taylor Wilson pitched in 10 terminations. Rookie Morgan Kath dished out 38 assists to direct the offense.

New Hampshire started the match with a slim lead out of the gate, nursing a 10-9 edge. UNH carved out a four-point edge at 18-14 on the strength of a six-kill performance from Brinkman in the frame. However, the Seawolves trimmed the Wildcats' advantage down to one at 19-18, forcing the visitors to huddle. The breather proved to be beneficial for UNH, ending the frame on a 6-3 run to take the opening set.

UNH and Stony Brook found themselves in a see-saw affair in the second stanza, featuring 12 tie scores and five lead changes. The Wildcats engineered their best hitting performance in the match, landing 15 kills at a .250 clip. Knotted at the 16 mark, Muses snapped the deadlock with a kill followed by a SBU error, forcing the home team to huddle. The 'Cats were not phased by the timeout as Croci and Brinkman provided the firepower down the stretch to preserve the slim lead and capture set two to give New Hampshire a 2-0 lead into intermission.

The Wildcats and Seawolves were in another contested frame in set three, consisting of 10 tie scores and three lead changes. SBU was first to hit the 10-point threshold with a 10-7 edge. After a UNH timeout, the blue and white clawed back to knot the score at 15 apiece, capped off by a service ace from senior outside hitter Maggie Kenney (Merrimack, N.H.). After trading the next 10 points, New Hampshire carved out a two-point edge to lead 22-20 late in the set as Stony Brook opted to huddle. The Seawolves would not fade away quietly as the home team retaliated with a 3-1 surge to tangle the score at the 23 mark. New Hampshire burned a timeout and aimed to clinch the sweep, but Stony Brook escaped with the last two points to force a fourth set.

The Wildcats rolled out a 11-4 run to start the fourth set as the Seawolves used up both of their timeouts early due to several hitting errors. Stony Brook attempted to rally, mustering a 9-6 surge to cut the deficit down to four points at 17-13. However, points from sophomore outside hitter Courtney Bowman (Chagrin Falls, Ohio)and Brinkman, combined with blocks down the stretch propelled the 'Cats to capture match-point and cement the four-set win.

The Wildcats, which have clinched a postseason appearance for the fifth consecutive year, have the opportunity to earn a share of the regular season title and host the America East Championships for the third straight year with a win at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County on Sunday, Nov. 15 (1 p.m.).

Check out UNHWildcats.com or follow the Wildcats via social media on Facebook (www.facebook.com/UNHWildcats), Twitter (@UNHWildcats), YouTube (www.youtube.com/UNHAthletics), Instagram (@UNHWildcats) and Snapchat (@UNHWildcats) for the latest news and information on all 20 varsity sports. For additional information on the UNH volleyball team, like the squad on Facebook or follow the 'Cats on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat @UNHVOLLEYBALL. Text UNH to 90561 to sign up for Sports alerts. Message & Data Rates May Apply. 1 message/text. Consent to receive a text message is not a condition of purchasing goods or services. Text HELP to 90561 for info. STOP to cancel. T&Cs & Privacy Policy is available HERE.