HOBOKEN, N.J. (October 27, 2010) – Senior setter Sara Budar pulled within one assist of tying former Duck Gina Joyce '06 for first all-time on the program's career assists chart as the Stevens Institute of Technology women's volleyball team earned a 3-0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-15) victory over visiting Polytechnic University at Canavan Arena in Hoboken, N.J. With the win, the Ducks, winners of 16 of their last 17 matches, improved to 28-5 on the season, while the Blue Jays fell to 16-18 on the year.
Budar finished the match with 18 assists, while Maggie Majcher and Amethyst Holder paced the Stevens attack with nine kills apiece. Sophomore outside hitter Maggie Kowalska added six kills and five blocks, while freshman Chrissy Dickinson chipped in with five kills and six blocks. Senior libero Julia Reilly finished with 15 digs, while fellow senior Brittany Conroy had nine digs.
Junior middle Victoria Kalvert (Missouri City, Texas) led the Blue Jays' offense with six kills, while senior outside hitter Meredith Shipman (Sugarland, Texas) and sophomore Corey Loupee (Crown Point, Ind.) had five kills each. Sophomore Nicole Breitbart (Ridgewood, N.J.) chipped in with 11 assists and eight digs.
Stevens will wrap up its regular season schedule at the Vassar Tournament in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. on October 29-30.
Set 1: Stevens 25, Polytechnic 23
With the set knotted at one, Kowalska and Majcher tallied back-to-back kills, spurring a 3-0 Ducks run. The Blue Jays recorded two-straight points to slice the deficit to one before a Holder spike and Michelle Plotzker ace once again made it a three-point Stevens' lead.
Polytechnic responded by mounting a 12-4 rally to take a 15-10 advantage. Trailing 20-14, Kowalska and Holder notched consecutive kills to trim the Ducks' deficit to four. Minutes later, a Dickinson kill coupled with a Majcher block kick-started a 4-0 Duck run that pulled Stevens within two a 23-21, forcing a Polytechnic timeout.
A Blue Jays attack error coming out of the break made it a one-point set before a Majcher block tied things up at 23. Majcher then continued to build on the Ducks' momentum; hammering home a pair of kills to cap off an impressive Stevens run that sealed the first set victory.
Set 2: Stevens 25, Polytechnic 14
The Ducks raced out to a 10-5 lead in the second set, forcing a Blue Jays' stoppage. Stevens continued to apply pressure coming out of the break, taking a 12-5 lead on a Dickinson spike before another Majcher kill upped the margin to eight.
Ahead 18-9, Majcher recorded a service ace to push the lead to 10. Polytechnic would pull within nine at 23-14, but Stevens responded with consecutive points to take the set 25-14.
Set 3: Stevens 25, Polytechnic 15
Hoping to put away the match, Stevens raced out to an early 13-10 lead. Back-to-back aces by freshman setter Samantha Gates upped the margin to six before a Kate Janes block helped make it 18-11.
Up 22-13, a Jane kill coupled with a Mary Caulson spike gave the Ducks a double-digit edge as Stevens sealed the match with a 25-15 third set victory.
