Jungsten 10 Kills Not Enough as UAlbany Swept in Providence
Box Score
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Late Providence runs in all three sets hurt the UAlbany volleyball team as it fell on the road in three sets (21-25, 18-25, 19-25) on Saturday.
“Our team is still young, and they are still learning with new lineups,” says coach MJ Engstrom. “Providence played well today, and we are going to need to improve our chemistry as the conference season goes on.”
Down early 7-2, Viktoriia Stroilo served UAlbany back into the set, leading the Great Danes on a 6-0 run to take the lead. Providence countered with six points straight, including three Michelle Cruz service aces. Down 15-10, an Amy Hunter kill sparked a 4-0 UAlbany run to put the Great Danes within one. Again the Friars struck back with a trio of points to go up 18-14, later going back-and-forth with their opponent to get set point 24-17. UAlbany tried a late comeback, with a block and kill from each Samantha Brostrom and Tatum Jungsten, then a Rebecca Rivera ace to get the Great Danes to 24-21, but a Mackenzie Ziegler kill gave the set to Providence 25-21.
Mikala McCauley served the Great Danes to a second game-starting 3-0 run. Sofia Furlong helped the cause, adding a couple of kills and a block to build an 8-2 lead for UAlbany. Providence took six of the next seven to pull within one. The sides kept exchanging points, with UAlbany holding a slight lead most of the way. Providence tied it up at 15, then at 17-16 UAlbany, the home team took the next eight points. A Jungsten stopped the run, but Providence took the set 25-18 to go up two games in the match.
UAlbany tried to turn things around in the third set as Stroilo served the team through the first three points. Providence tied it up at three. At 5-5, a Jungsten kill and Amanda Dolan kill pushed UAlbany ahead, but against Providence tied it up at seven. At 10-9 UAlbany, a couple of Kayla Fitzgerald kills and a pair of blocks tallied a 4-0 Providence run for a 13-10 advantage, later leading 15-11. After Furlong earned a kill, she served UAlbany into the lead at 16-15. The home team went ahead with five of the next six points. Olivia Schonewise earned a kill to bring the Great Danes back within two, but the Friars won five of the final six points for a 25-19 set win, taking the match in three.
Jungsten nearly earned a double double, leading the team with 10 kills and three blocks, adding nine digs. Lauren Spreen had a team-best 15 digs, while Dolan and Brostrom earned six kills.
For the home team, Fitzgerald hit .417 with 18 kills and 10 digs. Ziegler and Colleen McCollom both had seven kills.
The Great Danes return home to play a couple of home conference matches, starting with UMBC on Friday, October 11th at 7 p.m. at the University Gym.
