Pirate Drop Hard-Fought Four-Setter to Princeton

Tuesday, September 11

South Orange, N.J.

7:00 PM

Seton Hall University

4-6

Princeton

5-3

Princeton

Seton Hall

9/11/2018 10:03:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score HOME INFO BOX SCORE

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Three Pirates recorded double-doubles, but the Seton Hall women's volleyball team fell in four, hard-fought sets, 3-1 (25-22, 17-25, 19-25, 24-26), on Tuesday in Walsh Gym.

The Pirates won the first set, but the Tigers were able to rally for wins in three straight frames thereafter, including an epic 26-24 set four.

Senior Sophia Coffey (Sierra Madre, Calif.) notched her first double-double of the season with 19 assists and a season-high 11 digs. Junior Maggie Cvelbar (Euclid, Ohio) had a team-high 23 assists to go with 12 digs, while senior Caitlin Koska (Franklin, Wis.) tallied 11 kills and 14 digs.

SET 1:
The Pirates came out of the gate on fire, scoring five of the first six points of the first set, and Princeton never recovered. A kill by sophomore Amanda Rachwal (Bethlehem, Pa.) gave The Hall a commanding 15-7 lead. The Tigers cut the advantage to only two, 23-21, but Seton Hall held on for a 25-22 win. Koska had six of her 11 kills in the first set alone.

SET 2:
While Princeton never led in the first set, the Pirates never led in sets two or three. The Hall had only a .108 attack percentage in the second frame as the Tigers used a 7-2 run mid-way through the set to take a 19-9 lead. The Pirates cut into the Tiger lead, but couldn't get closer than a seven-point deficit, and eventually fell, 25-17.

SET 3:
With the score tied at two early in set three, Princeton went on a 7-0 run to take control. Although the Pirates responded with a run of their own, scoring five straight, they couldn't draw even. A kill by Emilee Turner (Kaysville, Utah) cut the Tiger lead to 18-16, but Princeton finished the third set by scoring seven of the final nine points to win, 25-19.

SET 4:
The fourth set was the closest of the match, featuring three lead changes and 12 ties. With the score tied at 22, back-to-back kills by Claire Forrest (Pasadena, Calif.) and Haylee Gasser (Mission Viejo, Calif.) put the Pirates in set point, 24-22. Princeton rallied however, and scored the final four points of the match to win the fourth set, 26-24, and the match, 3-1.

Inside the Numbers:

Senior Abby Thelen (Ft. Mitchell, Ky.) had a team-high 14 kills to go with three blocks.
Koska had a double-double with 11 kills and 14 digs.
Coffey had a double-double with 19 assists and a season-high 11 digs.
Cvelbar had a double-double with a season-high 23 assists to go with 12 digs.
Forrest finished with 10 kills and three blocks.
Rachwal had a season-high seven kills to go with a team-best six blocks.
Freshman Eden Dolezal (La Porte, Ind.) had a team-high 17 digs.
Seton Hall recorded a .183 attack percentage for the match, while Princeton attacked at .236.
The Hall had 55 team kills, while the Tigers had 62.
The Pirates totaled 75 team digs, while the Tigers had 77.

News & Notes:

Seton Hall falls to 4-6 on the young season, while Princeton improves to 5-3.
The Pirates are now 5-8 all-time against Princeton.
Coffey played in her 103^rd consecutive match, which leads all active Pirates. She has not missed a match since arriving in South Orange prior to the 2015 season.
The Pirates fell to 1-3 in four-set matches.
Coffey notched the team-leading 32^nd double-double of her career and her fourth straight dating back to the end of last season.
Cvelbar's double-double is her sixth of the season and the 12^th in her career.
Koska's double-double is her third of the season.
It's the first time since Sept. 16, 2017 against Bowling Green that three Pirates have recorded double-doubles in the same match.

Up Next:
The Pirates will return to action on Friday, Sept. 14 when they begin play at the Hofstra Invitational in Hempstead, N.Y. The Hall will face Dartmouth at 2:00 p.m.