Box Score OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Junior Annika Schwartz hit .349 and totaled 20 kills as the Stevenson University women's volleyball team earned a hard-fought 3-0 sweep of St. Mary's College of Maryland by scores of 25-13, 26-24, 25-23 on Tuesday night at Owings Mills Gymnasium on Senior Night. Stevenson (21-7) extended its win streak to 12 matches.
Schwartz's 20 kills were her second-highest total of the season and her most in a three-set match in 2016. Senior Kristen Brooks tallied 13 kills and 18 digs to move within nine kills of 1,000 for her career. The double-double was her first of the season. Freshman Victoria Prokic had eight kills, while senior Jackie Zeppa and sophomore Moriah Savage each had seven.
Junior Megan Hren finished with a career-high 27 digs. Senior Sara Bollinger had 27 assists and 10 digs, while freshman Julie Nightwine added 20 assists and 13 digs.
St. Mary's (17-8) was paced by Alli Graf's 13 kills and 19 digs and Meghan Kelley's 11 kills.
Stevenson trailed just once in the first set, at 3-2, and opened up a 13-6 lead following a kill by Zeppa. St. Mary's got within six twice, but the Mustangs closed out the set with three straight points and kill by senior Kelsey Stave gave the hosts a 1-0 lead.
St. Mary's held a 15-11 lead in the second set before the Mustangs scored five of the next seven points to pull within one, 17-16, on a Nightwine service ace. The Seahawks held a 23-21 lead when kills by Savage and Brooks, followed by another Savage kill, put Stevenson up 24-23. St. Mary's recorded the next point as Stevenson served for set point, but an attack error and a Savage kill completed the rally.
The third set featured six ties before the Seahawks eked out three straight points to take a 13-10 lead. Stevenson trailed 15-12 when it reeled off five straight points capped by a kill by Prokic to take a 17-15 lead and force St. Mary's to call timeout. The visitors stormed back and led 22-21 on a Kelley kill before two Schwartz kills and a point from Savage put Stevenson up 24-22. The Seahawks again fought off set point, but Schwartz put it away with her 20th kill of the evening.
Stevenson hit .340 on the evening, its best effort since hitting at a .420 clip at Lycoming on September 24, while the Seahawks hit .201 overall despite just hitting .054 in the first set.
Prior to the match, the final regular season home contest, the Mustangs honored seniors Bollinger, Brooks, Stave and Zeppa. The quarter has posted a 116-24 (.829) record with three conference titles and three NCAA appearances over their four seasons to date.
Stevenson can wrap up the top seed in the MAC Commonwealth tournament for the fifth straight season Wednesday night when it travels to Lebanon Valley College for a 7:00 conference contest. The Mustangs and Dutchmen enter tomorrow's match as the two lone unbeaten squads in the league.
