HOBOKEN, N.J. – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's volleyball team improved to 16-2 and 4-0 in MAC Freedom play Tuesday night with a sweep of DeSales at Canavan Arena.
The Ducks won 25-20, 25-23, 25-15, thanks in large part to a strong comeback late in the second set.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The opening set belonged to Stevens from the outset. Kills from
Alyssa O'Neal,
Julianne Danis,
Ella Boland and
Eva Tarolli helped the Ducks establish an early cushion and eventually build a 16-10 advantage. DeSales pulled to within one at 16-15, but Stevens quickly regained control behind key points from
Kileen McNeill and
Alexa Brucculeri. Late kills by O'Neal and Boland pushed the Ducks to set point before Boland finished the frame for a 25-20 victory. Stevens piled up 19 kills – with O'Neal, Danis, and Boland all contributing at least four -- while hitting .333 in the set.
Stevens started the second set strong, taking leads of 5-1 and eventually 13-9, thanks to strong net play from Tarolli and O'Neal. DeSales answered with a lengthy surge, turning a four-point deficit into a 17-13 lead, but the Ducks remained composed. Boland sparked the comeback with several clutch kills, McNeill added a key point, and an ace from Danis helped narrow the gap. Tied 23-23 late, Stevens went ahead on a service before O'Neal delivered perhaps the biggest swing of the match, hammering home set point for a 25-23 win and a commanding two-set lead. Boland added five more kills in the frame, while O'Neal added three.
Stevens put the match away emphatically in the third. After the score was tied at 9-9, the Ducks seized complete control. Kills from Tarolli and O'Neal plus four service aces from Sturt in a six-point span fueled a decisive 9-0 run that gave Stevens an 18-9 advantage. The defense and block continued to frustrate DeSales, while Brucculeri efficiently directed the offense. Boland and Tarolli added late kills before McNeill closed out the night with the final point, securing the 25-15 set win and the sweep. Boland had four kills in the set, while the O'Neal/Tarolli/McNeill trio all had three.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Ducks six straight wins have all come via sweep; they've dropped just 11 sets all season
- For the fifth time this year, Sturt recorded at least four aces; she also notched a team-high 13 digs
- O'Neal finished with an 11-kill, 12-dig double-double
- Brucculeri recorded a 29-assist, 12-dig double-double
UP NEXT
The Ducks kick off a weekend in Virginia on Friday night with a 7:00 start against Bridgewater in a battle of two teams in the Top 15 of this week's NPI rankings.
#AllRise
