HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Presbyterian College Blue Hose volleyball team (0-1) dropped a hard-fought five-set match to the Stony Brook Seawolves (2-0) with a final score of 3-2 (16-25, 25-14, 19-25, 25-23, 8-15).
 
COACH BENSON'S THOUGHTS
"We did some good things out there. In the second set, we played at a high level, and in the fourth set we came back to win 25-23. I'm excited about how we played in those two sets and eager to learn from the others where we didn't quite capitalize."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST SET
Stony Brook was first to reach four points, but Presbyterian quickly responded with a pair of kills from Courtney Williams and one from Elyse Hutchinson, evening the score at 4-4. The Blue Hose then took their first lead of the match at 6-5, courtesy of another kill from Hutchinson. After some back-and-forth play, a kill from Hannah Rowe and a service ace from Celimar Hoyos gave PC a three-point cushion at 10-7. However, despite another kill from Rowe, Stony Brook rallied with an 8-1 run, reclaiming the lead at 15-11. Williams halted the Seawolves' streak with her third kill, followed by an assisted block with Brittney Daphnis, narrowing the deficit to 16-13. Stony Brook responded with a 9-3 run to close out the first set, winning 25-17.
 
SECOND SET
Presbyterian quickly established a 3-1 lead with two kills from Daphnis and one from Williams. Daphnis then contributed to two assisted blocks, pushing the Blue Hose's lead to 5-2. Stony Brook was forced to call a timeout after Presbyterian extended their advantage to 10-4, thanks to kills by Anna Baranski and Hutchinson, along with a service ace from Aliza Hart. The Blue Hose maintained their momentum, widening the gap to 14-6 with additional kills from Rowe and Baranski. A service ace from Rowe and an assisted block by Yurkovich and Daphnis further extended the lead to 17-7. Although the Seawolves managed to score the next two points, Presbyterian responded with four consecutive scores, fueled by kills from Yurkovich and Hutchinson, and a solo block by Williams, making it 21-9. After some back-and-forth action, the Blue Hose secured the second set with a dominant 25-14 victory.
 
THIRD SET
The Seawolves came out strong in the third set, quickly jumping to a 4-1 lead. Presbyterian responded with a five-point run, taking a 6-4 advantage thanks to kills from Williams and Daphnis, along with block assists from Daphnis, Williams, and Yurkovich. However, Stony Brook reclaimed the lead at 7-6 after scoring the next three points. Presbyterian immediately answered with another kill from Daphnis and capitalized on a Seawolves error to regain the lead. The teams then exchanged points, leveling the score at 12-12. Stony Brook broke the tie with a 6-1 run, extending their lead to 18-13. Although Baranski's kill halted the Seawolves' streak, the back-and-forth play continued until Stony Brook eventually pulled ahead to win the set 25-19, despite a late kill from Rowe.
 
FOURTH SET
Stony Brook started the fourth set by taking the first two points, but Presbyterian quickly responded with kills from Yurkovich and Williams to even the score at 2-2. The Blue Hose then surged ahead, taking a 5-3 lead with kills from Daphnis and Hutchinson. They extended their advantage to a score of 8-4 after kills from Yurkovich and Hutchinson. However, a 4-1 run by the Seawolves narrowed Presbyterian's lead to 9-8. The teams traded points, with Baranski, Williams, and Daphnis contributing key kills, keeping PC in front at 13-12. Stony Brook then took control with four consecutive points, jumping ahead 16-13. The Blue Hose answered with a five-point run, highlighted by a Yurkovich kill, a solo block from Williams, and a service ace from Hoyos, regaining the lead at 18-16. Stony Brook fought back to tie the score at 20-20, but Hutchinson's kill briefly gave PC the edge. The Seawolves responded with two points, going up 22-21, but Baranski's crucial solo block leveled the score at 22-22. A kill from Rowe and an assisted block by Daphnis and Williams put PC in a winning position at 24-23. Rowe then delivered the decisive kill, securing the set for Presbyterian 25-23 and forcing a fifth set.
 
FIFTH SET
The Seawolves came out strong in the deciding set, quickly jumping to a 7-0 lead. Presbyterian finally got on the board with a Seawolves service error, but Stony Brook continued to dominate, extending their lead to 11-1. The Blue Hose managed to rally for a few more points, reaching eight, but it wasn't enough as Stony Brook secured the fifth set with a 15-8 victory, clinching the match.
 
NOTABLES
- Six PC players recorded at least six kills each.
- Several newcomers made their debut for the Blue Hose today, including Celimar Hoyos, who contributed two service aces and seven digs, and Brittney Daphnis, who tallied eight kills with a .294 hitting percentage and added seven block assists.
- Setter Anna Baranski, who recorded eight kills throughout the entire 2023 season, put up six kills in today's match alone.
 
UP NEXT
The Blue Hose will continue competition in the LD&B Insurance Invitational tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. against the Delaware State Hornets.