Volleyball Defeats Niagara, Challenges Hartford at Hartford Invitational

Saturday, September 8

West Hartford, CT

1:00 PM

Brown University

2-2

University of Hartford

4-3

BROWN

HARTFORD

Volleyball Defeats Niagara, Challenges Hartford at Hartford Invitational

9/8/2018 7:20:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Stillwell Posts over 20 Kills in Both Matches

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Brown University volleyball defeated Niagara University, 3-1 (25-16, 25-15, 19-25, 25-23), after challenging the University of Hartford prior to falling, 3-2 (19-25, 25-20, 25-20, 17-25, 17-15), on Saturday at the Hartford Invitational.

Playing inside the Hartford Volleyball Gymnasium, the Bears (3-2) closed out a four-set win over the Purple Eagles (0-9) after battling the host Hawks (4-3) in a five-set setback, which included a set five that saw 13 ties and four lead changes.

Between the two matches, senior Sabrina Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) recorded 46 kills (5.11 per set) on .312 hitting. She posted over 20 kills in each of the two matches. Freshman Kristin Sellers (Menlo Park, Calif.) dished out 110 assists (12.22 per set), and sophomore Eliza Grover (Menlo Park, Calif.) registered 25 kills on .396 hitting on the day.

Next, Brown completes play at the Hartford Invitational tomorrow, Sunday, Sept. 9, with a match against Bucknell at 11:00 a.m.

Match 1: Hartford 3, Brown 2 (19-25, 25-20, 25-20, 17-25, 17-15)

Sophomore Eliza Grover and senior Sabrina Stillwell tallied 21 kills and 20 kills respectively as Brown battled Hartford before falling, 3-2 (19-25, 25-20, 25-20, 17-25, 17-15), in its first match at the Hartford Invitational on Sunday afternoon.

Trailing 2-1 in sets, the Bears took set four behind a .515 hitting percentage in the fourth frame and nearly took set five – a set that witnessed 13 ties and four lead changes – before the host Hawks pulled out a win in the decisive stanza.

Grover (Menlo Park, Calif.) posted her career-high kills on 38 attempts with just two errors for a .500 hitting percentage. Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) landed 20 or more kills for the second time in four matches to open the season and added a .327 hitting percentage and seven digs.

Freshman setter Kristin Sellers (Menlo Park, Calif.) distributed a match and career-high 57 assists alongside seven digs. Fellow rookie Paris Winkler (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) tied for the match high with 17 digs.

Junior Jacqueline Jacobs (Atlanta, Ga.) totaled eight kills and five blocks while senior Elisa Merten (Woodside, Calif.) and junior Makena Ehlert (Orange County, Calif.) each chipped in eight digs.

Brown opened the match with a 25-19 victory in set one behind five kills from Stillwell and 17 assists from Sellers. The Bears jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the frame and did not trail the rest of the way. After taking a 19-12 edge the visitors did not allow the hosts to pull any closer than five points.

In set two, Brown trailed 15-13 before using a 4-0 run to pull ahead 17-15. Hartford tied the score at 19-19 prior to closing the set with a 6-1 streak in a 25-20 win. Stillwell terminated on another five kills in the frame.

The Hawks took another 25-20 win in set three to gain a 2-1 set advantage. With the score knotted at 9-9, Hartford six straight points to stake itself to a 15-9 lead. The hosts extended their lead to 21-11 before fending off a late charge from the Bears.

Brown answered with a 25-17 victory in set four forcing a fifth frame after hitting .515 (20 kills, 33 attempts, three errors) in the period. Leading 18-15, the Bears closed out the set on a 7-2 run. Grover terminated on six kills in the set while Stillwell and sophomore Gabrielle Moriconi (Naples, Fla.) each contributed five kills. Sellers connected on 18 assists in the frame.

The two teams went point-for-point in a set five that witnessed 13 ties and four lead changes as the Hawks came away with a 17-15 win in extra points. The Hawks held a slight 8-6 lead at the switch before Brown came back to take match point at 14-13. The Bears regained match point at 15-14 before Hartford scored the contest's final three points.

For Hartford, Jenna Bridges posted 16 kills, Megan Anderson handed out 47 assists, and Alex Lucero came up with 17 digs.

Match 2: Brown 3, Niagara 1 (25-16, 25-15, 19-25, 25-23)

Senior Sabrina Stillwell recorded a season-high 26 kills to lead Brown to a 3-1 (25-16, 25-15, 19-25, 25-23) victory over Niagara on Saturday evening in its second match at the Hartford Invitational.

The Bears jumped out to a 2-0 set lead in the match and closed out the contest with a .400 hitting percentage in set four. Brown hit .342 in the match.

Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) totaled 20 or more kills for the third time in five matches to open the year and posted her third double-double of the season after tying for the team lead with 14 digs.

Sophomore Gabrielle Moriconi (Naples, Fla.) supported her with 14 kills on .385 hitting. Junior Jacqueline Jacobs (Atlanta, Ga.) totaled 10 kills on .643 hitting with four blocks, and sophomore Tylin Stiller (Evergreen, Colo.) finished with nine kills on .471 hitting and four blocks.

Freshman Kristin Sellers (Menlo Park, Calif.) distributed 53 assists for her second match of the day with over 50 assists. Freshman Paris Winkler (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) and junior Makena Ehlert (Orange County, Calif.) each came up with 14 digs, and senior Elisa Merten (Woodside, Calif.) tacked on 11 digs.

Brown jumped out to a 10-2 lead in set one on its way to the 25-16 set victory. The Bears did not allow the Purple Eagles to trim the margin below six points for the remainder of the frame. Stillwell landed five kills in the frame.

In their 25-15 set two win, the Bears received seven kills on .500 hitting from Stillwell and 15 assists from Sellers. Trailing 12-9, Brown used a 7-0 burst to pull ahead 16-12. Brown won the final six points in the period.

Niagara staved off elimination with a 25-19 win in set three. After the Purple Eagles gained a 15-10 lead, the Bears trimmed their deficit to 16-13. Niagara took the next four points and held off a late Brown charge.

The Bears claimed the match with a 25-23 triumph in set four. Stillwell tallied 11 kills on the frame on 21 swings with just one error for a .476 hitting percentage. Facing a 19-15 deficit, Brown scored four straight points to even the score at 19-19. After Niagara went ahead 22-20, the Bears captured the frame behind a 5-1 streak.

For Niagara, Grace Hetterscheidt notched 11 kills, Jessica Streuer compiled 31 assists, and Emillie Wright contributed a match-high 21 digs.

Video of all Brown volleyball home contests and all Ivy League matches, home and away, will be broadcast live on ESPN .