Volleyball Slips in Five Sets at LIU in NEC Opener
The Blue Devils succumbed in five sets to the Sharks in the conference opener for both teams.
The Central Connecticut volleyball team fell at LIU, 3-2, in the Northeast Conference opener for both squads on Friday night. The Blue Devils took the opening two sets before the Sharks rallied to win the five-set thriller.
The Blue Devils travel to FDU for a Saturday evening matchup.
GAME INFORMATION | BOX SCORE
Score: CCSU 2, LIU 3 (23-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-14, 15-7)
Records: CCSU (1-11, 0-1 NEC), LIU (2-12, 1-0 NEC)
Location: Steinberg Wellness Center | Brooklyn, NY
KEY MOMENTS
- The Blue Devils opened the match with a pair of four-point runs. Isabelle Roufs would tally three straight kills and another by Isabella Bratzke would make it 9-4. LIU would recover to level the set at 11-all and from their neither team was able to separate. CCSU would call a timeout with the set tied at 22 and came out of the stoppage with a kill by Weronika Poczynek and a block by Poczynek and Kaylin Hadley enroute to winning the opening set.
- In the second set, neither squad led by more than two points throughout before CCSU took a 22-19 lead following a kill by Poczynek. A kill by Larissa Heimer would set up set point at 24-22. Following a point by the Sharks, Bratzke would close out the set to give CCSU a 2-0 lead in the match.
- Central would score five straight points to go ahead 5-1 in the third set. CCSU pushed the lead to 12-5 after an LIU error. The Sharks would recover by outscoring Central, 8-1, to tie the set at 13-13. CCSU would tie the set at 23 after a kill by Poczynek, but LIU would score two points to close the set and extend the match.
- LIU raced out to a 5-1 lead in the fourth set and would not trail from then on. The lead would expand to 19-7 before LIU eventually closed out the set to force a decisive fifth frame.
- In the fifth set, LIU scored the first three points and would stretch the lead to 5-1 before a CCSU timeout. Central would break the momentum with a kill by Mia Lombardo, but the Sharks would push ahead, 11-4, to force another timeout. The teams would trade points until LIU closed out the match with a 15-7 win in the frame.
NUMBER TO KNOW
3 – Poczynek had her third straight double-double.
NOTES
- Since winning back-to-back matches against LIU, the Blue Devils have lost three meetings in the series.
- Poczynek finished with 10 kills and a season-high 30 digs for her third straight double-double.
- Heimer collected 37 assists and three kills. She entered the match ranked second in the NEC, averaging 7.62 assists per set.
- Roufs finished with a season-high 12 kills and hit .400. She added a team-high six blocks.
- Lauren Milani (13), Louise Lion (13) and Bratzke (12) had double-figure dig totals.
UP NEXT
The Blue Devils travel to FDU for a Saturday evening matchup.
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