Volleyball Returns to Pizzitola Sports Center to Host Harvard, Dartmouth

Friday, October 12

Providence, RI

7:00 PM

Brown University

Harvard University

Volleyball Returns to Pizzitola Sports Center to Host Harvard, Dartmouth

10/11/2018 9:07:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown University volleyball completes the first half of Ivy League play when it returns to the Pizzitola Sports Center to host Harvard University on Friday at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+) and Dartmouth College on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. (ESPN+) in its first home matches since Sept. 22.

FOLLOW THE BEARS
Vs. Harvard: Live Video (ESPN+) | Live Stats
Vs. Dartmouth: Live Video (ESPN+) | Live Stats
On Twitter: @Brownvball | @BrownAthletics
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THE IVY LEAGUE ON ESPN
Video of all home contests and all Ivy League games, home and away, will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans can subscribe and view games by purchasing a monthly package for $4.99 or a yearly package for $49.99.

LAST WEEKEND
Senior Sabrina Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) posted 15 kills, and sophomore Gabrielle Moriconi (Naples, Fla.) tallied 14 kills, but Brown fell at Cornell University, 3-2 (20-25, 22-25, 25-17, 25-15, 15-8), on Friday night at Newman Arena. On Saturday at Columbia University, Stillwell posted her ninth double-double of the season on 10 kills and 12 digs, but the Bears fell to the Lions, 3-1 (25-20, 17-25, 25-23, 25-13), at Levien Gymnasium.

STILLWELL PACES LEAGUE
Senior Sabrina Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) leads the Ivy League with 3.82 kills per set. Thus far in 2018, she has posted 20 or more kills five times and tallied nine double-doubles. She landed a season-high 26 kills vs. Niagara (Sept. 8) and has posted double-figure kills in each of 12 matches. Entering this weekend's competition, she has 973 career kills.

BLOCK PARTY
Junior Jacqueline Jacobs (Atlanta, Ga.) has posted 241 career blocks, ranking fifth all-time at Brown. This season, she ranks 10^th in the Ivy League with 0.91 blocks per set. Jacobs tallied a season-high nine blocks vs. Bryant (Sept. 18).

TEAM STATS
As a team, Brown ranks second in the Ivy League in hitting percentage (.218) and fourth in the conference in kills per set (12.82) and digs per set (15.59).

IVY RANKINGS
Senior Sabrina Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) leads the Ivy League with 3.82 kills per set. Freshman Kristin Sellers (Menlo Park, Calif.) ranks third in the league in assists per set (9.03).

Junior Jacqueline Jacobs (Atlanta, Ga.) ranks 10^th in the Ancient Eight in blocks per set (0.91). Freshman libero Paris Winkler (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) sits ninth in the conference with 3.34 digs per set.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES, DOUBLE-FIGURES
Senior Sabrina Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) has tallied nine double-doubles, 10 or more kills 12 times, 20 or more kills five times, and 10 or more digs 10 times on the season. Sophomore Eliza Grover (Menlo Park, Calif.) has notched double-figure kills seven times and a season-best 21 kills vs. Hartford (Sept. 8). Sophomore Gabrielle Moriconi (Naples, Fla.) and junior Jacqueline Jacobs (Atlanta, Ga.) have posted double-figure kills seven and two times respectively.

Freshman setter Kristin Sellers (Menlo Park, Calif.) has registered six double-doubles on the season, while totaling 40 or more assists six times and 50 or more assists three times. Junior Makena Ehlert (Orange County, Calif.) has compiled one double-double on the year and tallied double-figure digs 10 times. Freshman Paris Winkler (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) and senior Elisa Merten (Woodside, Calif.) have notched double-figure digs 12 and eight times apiece.

ALL-TOURNAMENT ACCOLADES
Senior Sabrina Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) and freshman Kristin Sellers (Menlo Park, Calif.) both earned All-Tournament Team honors at the Friar Classic while Stillwell and junior Jacqueline Jacobs (Atlanta, Ga.) both gained All-Tournament accolades at the Hartford Invitational. Sophomores Eliza Grover (Menlo Park, Calif.) and Tylin Stiller (Evergreen, Colo.) each garnered All-Tournament Team plaudits at the Stetson Invitational.

At the Friar Classic, Stillwell recorded 50 kills (4.55 per set), 39 digs (3.55 per set), and a pair of double-doubles, and Sellers tallied 103 assists (9.36 per set), 37 digs (3.36 per set), and two double-doubles at the tournament. At the Hartford Invitational, Stillwell registered 20 or more kills in all three matches, finishing the tournament with 5.23 kills per set.

SELLERS EARNS IVY ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Freshman Kristin Sellers (Menlo Park, Calif.) gained Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors on Sept. 17 after helping lead the Bears to a 2-1 record at the Stetson Invitational. Sellers tallied 117 assists (9.00 per set), 40 digs (3.08 per set), and two double-doubles on the weekend. She compiled 52 assists and 18 digs in a comeback 3-2 win over Chicago State and contributed 38 assists and 15 digs in a 3-1 win over Stetson.

STILLWELL WINS IVY PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior Sabrina Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) earned Ivy League Player of the Week honors on Sept. 10 after leading the Bears to a 2-1 record at the Hartford Invitational. She recorded 68 kills (5.23 per set) on .321 hitting and 35 digs (2.69 per set) on the week, earning All-Tournament Team accolades for the second straight week. She tallied 20 or more kills in all three matches with a pair of double-doubles.

THE FRIAR CLASSIC
Brown opened its 2018 season with victories over Fairleigh Dickinson (3-1) and UMass Lowell (3-0) before battling host Providence College in a 3-1 setback at the Friar Classic. In the Bears' opening contests under first-year head coach Ahen Kim, senior Sabrina Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) and freshman Kristin Sellers (Menlo Park, Calif.) both earned All-Tournament Team honors.

THE HARTFORD INVITATIONAL
Brown went 2-1 at the Hartford Invitational (Sept. 8-9), topping Niagara (3-1) and Bucknell (3-1) to close the tournament. Senior Sabrina Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) and junior Jacqueline Jacobs earned All-Tournament Team honors with Stillwell finishing the tournament with 68 kills (5.23 per set) and 35 digs (2.69 per set).

IN THE SUNSHINE STATE
Brown went 2-1 for the third time in as many tournament weekends to open the year, earning comeback wins over Chicago State (3-2) and Stetson (3-1) at the Stetson Invitational (Sept. 14-15). Senior Sabrina Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) led the Bears at the tournament with 51 kills (3.92 per set) while sophomores Eliza Grover (Menlo Park, Calif.) and Tylin Stiller (Evergreen, Colo.) each garnered All-Tournament Team accolades.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Harvard carries a 7-7 overall record and a 2-3 Ivy League mark into the weekend, coming off victories over Penn (3-0) and Princeton (3-0). Christina Cornelius leads the Crimson with 2.59 kills per set and ranks fifth in the Ivy League in blocks per set (1.04) and sixth in hitting percentage (.301). Anna Uhr stands seventh in the league in digs per set (3.39).

Dartmouth brings a 6-9 overall mark and 2-3 Ivy League record into the weekend and will face Yale on Friday prior to meeting Brown. Last weekend, the Big Green beat Penn (3-0) and fell to Princeton (3-0). Nicole Liddle ranks eighth in the conference in kills per set (2.79). Tola Akinwumi (1.20 b/s) and Francesca Meldrum (1.11 b/s) stand first and third in the league respectively in blocks per set. Zoe Leonard sits third in the Ancient Eight with 3.88 digs per set.

THE CAPTAINS
Brown's three seniors – Elisa Merten (Woodside, Calif.), Courtney Palm (St. Louis, Mo.), and Sabrina Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) – will captain the Bears in 2018. Combined the trio has played in over 200 career matches and over 730 career sets entering the 2018 season.

THE NEWCOMERS
The Bears' six-member Class of 2022 includes middle blocker Olivia Dukat (Roswell, Ga.), right-side hitter Morgan Grasch (Montalba, Texas), outside hitter Catherine Mihm (Rolling Hills, Calif.), libero/defensive specialist Ashley Oelrich (Newberry, Fla.), setter Kristin Sellers (Menlo Park, Calif.), and libero/defensive specialist Paris Winkler (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.).

NEW YEAR, NEW STAFF
The Bears will feature a new coaching staff in 2018 as head coach Ahen Kim enters his first season with the program. Kim helped lead American University to five straight Patriot League titles and three NCAA tournament wins as an assistant coach from 2012-17. He has two first-year assistant coaches in Katie Reifert and Aubrey Marsellis.

GIBBS '06 WINS SILVER AT OLYMPICS
Since the Bears last took the court, volleyball alumna Lauren Gibbs '06 won an Olympic silver medal in women's bobsled at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. Gibbs became Brown's first female medalist at the winter Olympics outside of the sport of women's ice hockey.

UP NEXT
After hosting Dartmouth on Saturday, Brown begins the second half of Ivy League play at Yale University on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 5:00 p.m. (ESPN+).