BALTIMORE – UMBC sophomore Hannah
Schmidt (Catonsville, Md./Mount de Sales) and
junior Emily
Vandegrift (Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County) each recorded
double-digit kills and junior Ali Goc (Oshawa,
Ontario/R.S. McLaughlin) scooped up a team-best 16 digs, as the
UMBC volleyball team swept Stony Brook 3-0 (25-22, 27-25, 25-19),
Sunday afternoon at the RAC Arena.
In addition to her team-high 11 kills, Schmidt picked up 12 digs
for her third straight and eighth overall double-double of the
season. Vandegrift added ten kills and senior Ali
Loynachan (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair) nearly equaled
Schmidt's double-double, finishing with nine kills and nine digs,
respectively.
Junior Evann Slaughter led Stony
Brook (7-12, 2-4 America East) with a match-high 14 kills while
freshman Melissa Rigo notched 11
winners.
UMBC (10-13, 3-3 America East) took control of the first set
from the start, jumping out to a 4-1 lead and extending it to 7-2
on a setting error. The Seawolves fought back, however,
and got to within one point at 21-20, but the Retrievers responded
by claiming four out of the next six points to win the opening
frame 25-22.
In the second set, UMBC once again staked to an early lead 11-7,
but once again the visitors came back, this time all the way, tying
the set at 18-18. From there, neither team could pull
away as the squads were tied a total of 12 occasions in the set,
exchanging the lead five times. Stony Brook pushed the
Retrievers to the brink by taking a 25-24 lead on an attack error,
but three straight points, including two kills by Schmidt, gave the
hosts a 27-25 set win.
The final set nearly equaled the second in tense moments with
UMBC forced to make the comeback this time. Down 5-1 in
the early going, the Retrievers ran off four straight points for
the second of ten ties. Even play again led to neither
team being able to take a lead larger than two and UMBC knotted the
set at 19 on a kill by Loynchan. That point was the
beginning of the end as UMBC claimed the next six points to sweep
Stony Brook with a 25-19 third set victory.
UMBC returns to the court on Friday when the squad hosts America
East rival Binghamton at the RAC for its Dig Pink
contest. Donations to Retrievers' Dig Pink campaign will
be accepted on the Side-Out
Foundation's website. Action between the Retrievers
and Bearcats is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
DAWG BITES
- With
the win the Retrievers snap a five-match win streak by Stony Brook
in the series. The Seawolves still lead the all-time
series 11-9.
- Schmidt
has recorded a double-double in four of UMBC's six America East
contests and now has 216 kills and 216 digs this season.
- UMBC
outhit Stony Brook .214-.116 and registered 15 total blocks
compared to six for the Seawolves.
