Hoboken, N.J. – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's volleyball team continued its strong start to the season with sweeps of Wilkes and Drew on Saturday.
The Ducks swept the Colonels 25-14, 25-7, 25-8, then knocked off the Rangers 25-18, 25-15, 25-16, running their record to 13-2.
HOW IT HAPPENED - Wilkes
The first set was competitive early, with the score tied at 8-8 before Stevens seized momentum. Behind the serving of
Alyssa O'Neal, the Ducks erupted on a 12-0 run, getting kills from
Julianne Danis,
Ella Boland and
Eva Tarolli while forcing a string of Wilkes attack errors. Wilkes trimmed the deficit late, but a kill from Danis and a block by
Alexa Brucculeri and
Kileen McNeill closed out the set.
Stevens was even more dominant in the second. The Ducks raced out to a 17-2 advantage, winning the first 11 points behind a balanced attack and strong net play. Kills from Tarolli, Danis, Boland and O'Neal, coupled with aces from Boland, Danis and
Cadence Sturt, left Wilkes searching for answers. Stevens never allowed the Colonels back into the set and cruised to a 25-7 decision.
The Ducks maintained control in the third with multiple reserves rotating into the match. Wilkes stayed within striking distance early before Stevens turned a 13-12 lead into a comfortable cushion.
Molly Harris handed out 16 assists,
Sarah Bolduc recording four kills and
Ava Stewart added two kills. O'Neal delivered several key points down the stretch as Stevens completed the sweep with a 25-18 win.
HOW IT HAPPENED – Drew
In the first set, Stevens established control immediately. Consecutive service aces from Tarolli helped the Ducks race out to a 4-0 lead before Drew settled in. The Rangers twice cut the deficit to four but Stevens answered every push. Kills from Boland, Danis and O'Neal fueled a late surge, and a kill by Brucculeri closed out a 25-18 victory.
The Ducks seized momentum early in the second set, using a 7-2 start highlighted by a service ace from Boland and efficient work at the net. Drew battled back within 10-9, but Stevens responded decisively. Three service aces during a dominant run from Danis stretched the lead to 20-14, and the Ducks finished the frame on a 5-1 burst to claim a 25-15 win.
Stevens completed the sweep in the third. After the score was tied 1-1, the Ducks rattled off an 8-1 run behind two aces from Tarolli and kills from Bolduc, Boland and McNeill. Drew never got closer than seven points the rest of the way as Stevens cruised to the 25-16 final and the straight-set victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (Wilkes)
- Stevens dominated offensively, recording 46 kills on a season-high .407 hitting percentage
- Defensively, the Ducks held the Colonels under .000 in two sets, limiting the opposition to a -.047 clip for the match, the third opponent the Ducks have held to a negative attack percentage this season
- The Ducks were strong both at the service line and the net, finishing with five aces and five total blocks.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (Drew)
- The Ducks' 12 service aces were a season-high, one more than the 11 they'd notched in three matches
- Danis and Tarolli each had four service aces in the match
- Brucculeri surpassed 1,000 career assists during the match, finishing with 56 for the day between both matches, leaving her with 1,028 for her career
- O'Neal and Danis each finished the day with 17 kills to lead the Ducks
UP NEXT
The Ducks continue MAC Freedom play on Wednesday, October 7, on the road at 7:00 PM against Arcadia.
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