HOBOKEN, N.J. (September 2, 2023) – Senior
Liz Patterson filled the stat sheet with 11 kills, 13 digs and three aces to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology women's volleyball team to a sweep of Defiance College (25-15, 25-17, 25-17) Saturday to close out the Ducks' annual invitational at Canavan Arena.
Senior
Meg Dion added eight kills and six blocks and classmate
Elle Maggio had seven kills on 12 swings without an error to lead the Ducks, who improved to 3-0 on the year. Stevens has opened the season with three straight wins for the sixth time since 2008.
Jamia Murray had seven kills to lead Defiance, who fell to 0-3. Saturday's meeting was the first between the programs.
The Rundown
- Stevens earned its second sweep of the weekend on the strength of a .258 hitting percentage, while simultaneously forcing Defiance into nearly as many errors (23) as kills (24). Despite having the largest scoring gap in terms of the final set score, the frame was actually the most competitive as the teams combined for six ties and four lead changes.
- Defiance opened an 8-6 lead after an ace, but the Ducks broke the set open with nine straight points – eight of which came with junior Bailey Axelrad on the service line. Defiance threatened to climb back into the set with four straight points, but a bad set and a double block by Dion and junior Parker Adkins put a bow on the opening set. Stevens finished the match with eight blocks.
- For the second straight set, it was the guests that opened a lead, with three Stevens errors contributing to a 5-2 margin. While the Ducks didn't produce a nine-point run as they did in the opening set, three four-point runs saw the home team open a 15-8 lead.
- Four different players registered a block in the second set, as Stevens held Defiance to a negative hitting percentage (6-10-35). The pressing Duck defense forced a total of 10 attack errors, including three of Stevens' final four points in helping the home team to a 2-0 lead.
- The Ducks closed out the match in style, hitting .393 with just three attack errors in the final set. Maggio sparked the offense with five kills, two of which came in the early stages as the Ducks reeled off a 7-1 run to seize control after Defiance scored the first point of the frame.
Top Performers
- Patterson posted the 10th double-double of her career.
- First-year Molly Harris came off the bench to record a match-high 19 assists.
- Patterson also recorded 16 receptions without an error.
- Patterson's defensive efforts led three different players with double-digit digs.
- Six different players had an ace.
- A balanced effort from the Ducks saw 11 different players finish with at least one point.
- Senior Kristy Chen made her season debut.
For the Opponents
- Five different players recorded a kill and seven finished with at least one point.
- Aby Altizer finished with a team-high two blocks.
- Emma Chafins had a pair of aces.
Around the MAC Freedom
- DeSales 3, Rutgers-Camden 2
- FDU-Florham 3, Mount Saint Vincent 0
- Penn State York 3, Delaware Valley 0
- Ursinus 3, Misericordia 1
- Stockton 3, Lebanon Valley 1
- Lebanon Valley 3, Haverford 1
- Delaware Valley 3, Penn College 0
- Dickinson 3, DeSales 0
Coach's Comments
- "Our staff is really happy with our team and proud of their efforts this weekend. We tried different lineups and our team stayed composed throughout the changes. We are excited to take this momentum into our matches next weekend." – head coach Macon Frey
Up Next
- Stevens heads to the Midwest on Sept. 8 for a quad match hosted by the University of Chicago. The Ducks will face Colby and North Park on the opening day, before wrapping up play against the hosting Maroons one day later. The appropriate match links will be posted to StevensDucks.com once available.
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Women's Volleyball Social Media
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Twitter: @stevens_vball
Instagram: @stevenswomens_volleyball
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