Hoboken, N.J. – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's volleyball team picked up a pair of victories Saturday inside Canavan Arena, defeating Kean University and Swarthmore College in four sets to extend its winning streak to five matches.
The Ducks (5-1) opened the day with a 3-1 victory over Kean, winning 29-27, 25-20, 20-25, 25-17, before rallying past Swarthmore 21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-18 in the nightcap. In the middle match, Swarthmore took down Kean in straight sets.
HOW IT HAPPENED (Vs. Kean)
Stevens raced out to a 6-1 advantage in the opening set, with
Julianne Danis recording three kills while
Cadence Sturt served three aces during the early run. Kean gradually worked its way back into the frame and pulled even at 13 before Stevens answered to build a 20-15 advantage. The Cougars responded again, using an 8-3 run to knot the score at 23. The sides traded points from there, with
Eva Tarolli delivering consecutive kills to give Stevens a 25-24 edge. Kean twice fought off set point before Danis put the Ducks ahead 26-25. After the teams exchanged the next four points,
Ella Boland broke a 27-27 tie with a kill before a Kean attack error gave Stevens the 29-27 victory.
The Ducks carried the momentum into the second, breaking a 1-1 tie with four straight points to move ahead 5-1. Boland contributed a kill during the stretch while
Kileen McNeill teamed up for a pair of blocks. Stevens maintained control throughout the frame and extended the advantage to 14-8 following consecutive Kean attack errors. The Cougars pulled within three at 17-14, but Stevens answered behind kills from Danis and
Alyssa O'Neal. O'Neal later pushed the margin to 21-16 before Boland put away the final kill for the 25-20 victory.
Kean responded in the third set, using a 4-0 run to turn a 5-3 Stevens advantage into a 7-5 lead. The Ducks pulled even at 12, but the Cougars scored six of the next eight points to build an 18-14 advantage. Stevens cut the deficit to three twice, including 20-17 on a Tarolli kill, but Kean answered and eventually closed the frame 25-20.
The fourth set featured three early ties before Stevens began to create separation, using five straight points, including three consecutive attack errors, to open a 7-4 lead. Deadlocked at seven, Danis delivered a kill before
Ella Kraver followed with a service ace. Sturt later recorded an ace and O'Neal added a kill as the Ducks extended their advantage to 13-8. Kean battled back within one at 13-12, but Stevens answered with four of the next five points. Leading 18-14, the Ducks put the match away with a five-point run as Danis and Tarolli combined on a block before Tarolli added a kill. Boland and Tarolli teamed up for another block to reach match point before Tarolli closed the contest with a kill for the 25-17 victory.
Vs. Swarthmore
Swarthmore took the opening set after the two sides battled through 11 ties. Stevens held an 8-5 advantage following back-to-back service aces from Boland, but the Garnet responded with five straight points. The Ducks eventually pulled even at 17 on a kill from Boland before Swarthmore answered with five consecutive markers to take a 22-17 advantage. Stevens trimmed the deficit to 24-21 on an O'Neal kill, but the Garnet closed out the frame on the ensuing point.
Stevens began to find its rhythm in the second set as
Sarah Bolduc provided an immediate spark with three early kills. The teams remained within two points of one another for much of the frame before the Ducks broke a 14-14 deadlock. O'Neal put away a pair of kills during a stretch that pushed Stevens in front 18-15 before McNeill's kill and consecutive Swarthmore attack errors (with a solo block from Bolduc and a tandem rejection from Boland and McNeill) extended the advantage to 21-17. Bolduc later recorded kills to give the Ducks their 22nd and 24th points before a Swarthmore service error secured the 25-22 win.
The Ducks took control midway through the third frame. With Stevens leading 9-8, the Ducks reeled off five straight points behind an O'Neal service ace, a kill from Boland and a pair of blocks involving McNeill. Swarthmore cut the margin to four at 16-12, but Stevens maintained its cushion as Bolduc,
Alexa Brucculeri, Danis and O'Neal each contributed kills down the stretch. O'Neal accounted for each of the Ducks' final three kills, including back-to-back to close out the 25-17 frame.
Stevens carried the momentum into the fourth, jumping out to a 7-2 advantage behind kills from McNeill, Boland, Tarolli and Bolduc. Swarthmore answered with five straight points to pull even at seven, but the Ducks responded with four consecutive markers of their own. Stevens later used another four-point run, highlighted by a McNeill kill and a Sturt service ace, to extend its advantage to 15-8. The Garnet never pulled closer than four the rest of the way as Bolduc and Boland combined for four kills late in the frame. Brucculeri put Stevens at match point with a kill before a Swarthmore attack error finished off the 25-18 victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Danis led the Ducks against Kean with 17 kills on 42 attacks, hitting .262 while adding five digs and two block assists.
- O'Neal added 15 kills and nine digs, while Boland and Tarolli each finished with nine kills. Tarolli hit .333 on 18 swings.
- Brucculeri handed out 37 assists while recording 14 digs as Sturt paced the defense with 17 digs and also served five aces.
- O'Neal led Stevens in the nightcap with 18 kills and 11 digs, while Bolduc added 12 kills and hit .360 in three sets.
- Boland totaled nine kills without an attack error on 18 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage and added four block assists.
- Brucculeri recorded 42 assists and nine digs, while Sturt finished with a match-high 19 digs and three service aces.
UP NEXT
The Ducks open Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom action on Tuesday, as they host Delaware Valley University at 7:00 pm inside Canavan Arena.
