BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Olivia Julich slammed a match-high 13 kills to lead the Pratt Institute women's volleyball team to a straight-set, 3-0 victory over Saint Elizabeth University on Friday evening in their 2024 home opener at The Hill Center.
The closely matched, back-and-forth affair featured 15 ties and seven lead changes with the Cannoneers winning by set scores of 25-21, 25-21, 25-22.
In addition to her match-best kills, Julich also led all players with 16 digs for her first double-double of the season. Collen Russell matched her career-high of seven kills on .500 hitting and also stuffed a match-high four blocks (all assisted).
Josie Johnson stuffed the stat sheet with 11 assists, nine digs, five kills, four aces, and three blocks (all assisted). Emily Sontag dished out 18 assists with six kills and six digs. Allison Sontag brought up 11 digs to reach double-digits for the first time and chipped in two kills.
The Cannoneers saw a 17-10 lead in the first dwindle to one, 18-17, before taking control late in the frame behind back-to-back kills from Russell and a kill from Natalie Dziadzio kill closed out the set.
The Eagles won the opening four points of the second stanza before Pratt rattled off a 7-1 run and both teams remained within three points the rest of the frame. With the set still in the balance at 20-19, Pratt finished on a 5-2 spurt highlighted by aces by Emma Leavey and Emily Sontag on set point.
Pratt raced out to a 6-0 run in the third but couldn't maintain their separation as St. Elizabeth drew even at 10-all. After pulling away to three-point leads on three separate occasions, the Cannoneers found themselves deadlocked 22-all but remained steady late in the frame again, taking the final three points.
Pratt opens a three-match road stand on Tuesday, September 10 at facing St. Joseph's University-Long Island in a non-conference affair starting at 7 p.m. in Patchogue, New York.
