In its second conference game of the season, Northeastern’s volleyball team (4-6, 2-0 CAA) defeated the University of North Carolina Wilmington Seahawks (3-6, 0-2 CAA) 3-1 at home Sept. 22. The game was the two teams’ second matchup of the weekend, and Northeastern completed a weekend sweep.

With senior outside hitter Sahitya Krishnamurthy serving, the Huskies struck first, taking the opening point of the game. The Seahawks answered right back with a kill. Northeastern regained control of serving with a kill from graduate middle hitter Millie Loehr, which was followed by relentless kills from sophomore middle blocker Kaylin Daniels and another from Loehr to put them up 4-1 early on. 

The Seahawks were not deterred by the Huskies’ hot start, responding with two kills and a point off a ball hit out of bounds by redshirt junior outside hitter Kinley Gomez to tie it 4-4. The game continued back-and-forth as the tied score advanced to 6-6.

Northeastern capitalized on errors from UNCW, and graduate middle blocker Georgia Stavrinides snuffed the Seahawks out with a kill, extending the Huskies’ lead to 9-6. The Seahawks were quick to fight back with two points of their own with a kill by senior outside hitter Alexa Brezeault and an ace by freshman outside hitter Macy Leyda. 

The teams went back and forth, scoring three points each before the Huskies strung three points together, including a kill and block by Loehr, a block by freshman outside hitter Brynn Smith and an attack error by UNCW’s senior outside hitter Emma Chappel, notching the largest lead of either team at that point, 15-11. 

In an attempt to reset, UNCW called a timeout, and it proved successful as the team went on a run of its own, scoring five points to take the lead. An out-of-bounds serve by UNCW’s junior outside hitter Sarah Thompson and a kill by Gomez put the Huskies narrowly back on top, 17-16. 

Despite the Seahawks adding two points to their score, a huge block by Daniels and Gomez marked a shift in momentum. The Huskies went on a five point run, advancing the score to 22-18. The Seahawks added two more points for themselves but could not string together enough to get ahead. On set point, Stavrinides came up with a block that UNCW couldn’t handle, taking the first set 25-20. 

Like the first set, Northeastern took the first point of the second set, but the Seahawks tied it up at 1-1. From there, the Huskies took over — tallying a four point run, including back-to-back kills by Gomez to give them a 5-1 lead. UNCW attempted to get back in with kills by graduate right side hitter Liv Womble and senior middle hitter Grace Melnick, but the Huskies doubled down with another four-point run led by a kill and two aces from Gomez to extend their lead to 9-3.

Out of a timeout, UNCW looked to flip the script. After kills were exchanged by Thompson and Stavrinides, the Seahawks went on their own four point run with a kill by Chappel and three blocks to cut the Huskies’ lead to 10-8. 

But the Huskies were not deterred. Northeastern took a timeout and scored five consecutive points with two kills from Stavrinides and two blocks and an ace by graduate setter Carly Cooper, giving them a 15-8 lead. 

Both teams then went kill for kill with a couple of attack errors until an ace by freshman setter Gabby Reeves. The Seahawks went on to score three consecutive points before an attack error by Melnick and scored two more until Stavrinides stacked on another kill. Her kill was answered back with two consecutive kills by sophomore right side hitter A’siya Magazine. The teams went kill for kill the rest of the set until Loehr ended it with a kill to give Northeastern the second set,  25-20.

The third set started with a powerful kill by Smith for Northeastern that was answered with a kill by Brezeault. Both teams went back and forth until an ace by Reeves put the Huskies up 4-2, but UNCW went on a five point run to take the lead, including three consecutive kills by Magazine. 

A serve into the net by UNCW’s junior setter Noe Gaeta and two aces by Gomez tied the game back up at seven until Magazine added another kill and Thompson got an ace. Stavrinides added two kills to tie the game up again, but the Seahawks quickly added two more points, including an ace by Melnick that just made it over the net. The teams kept going back and forth, including four-point runs by both teams to keep the game tied. 

UNCW then went ahead by three, but Northeastern fought back and moved ahead by one to bring the score to 20-19 Huskies. Womble and Gomez exchanged kills and a bad set by Gaeta put the Huskies up 22-20, but the back and forth didn’t stop as UNCW tied it again with kills by Melnick and Magazine. A block with Melnick and Magazine put the Seahawks ahead, and Daniels and Brezeault exchanged kills to bring the score to 24-23 Seahawks. The Seahawks brought it home with an ace by Melnick, breaking the Huskies’ set streak and bringing the game to a fourth set.

Entering the fourth set, both teams came out fighting hard — UNCW looking to stay in the match, while Northeastern wanted to end it. The opening point went to the Huskies after Gaeta served the ball out of bounds, but UNCW tied the game up with a block, 1-1. 

After an attack error by Gomez, the two teams exchanged kills until an ace by freshman setter Sydney Marshall put the Seahawks up by three. Play continued back-and-forth, with UNCW snatching the lead and then Northeastern quickly responding, eventually tying the score 8-8. 

Both teams adding tallies to the scoreboard, the score now 12-12, the Huskies strung together three points from a service error by senior libero Quinn Manley plus a block and a kill by freshman setter Arina Sosinovica. 

Trying to reorganize themselves, the Seahawks took a timeout, coming back stronger with a kill by Magazine and a point off an attack error, bringing the score to 15-14 Seahawks. The game continued evenly matched and competitive until the score was 17-16 Northeastern – and then it was all Huskies.

In a six point streak, Northeastern notched kills by freshman outside hitter Jane Nelson and Stavrinides and a series of attack errors from UNCW. The Seahawks scored two more points from a kill by Womble and an attack error by Loehr, but it was not enough. A kill by Gomez and an attack error by Magazine was all it took to end the set, 25-18, solidifying the 3-1 victory for Northeastern.

The Huskies next game is Sept. 27 at 3 p.m. at North Carolina A&T (7-3, 2-0 CAA). Northeastern will look to break the Aggies’ three game winning streak.