STONY BROOK, N.Y. — William & Mary was defeated by Stony Brook in straight sets on Saturday afternoon at Pritchard Gymnasium, with scores of 25-21, 27-25, and 25-23.

W&M (6-9, 1-3 CAA) opened the first set with consistent performance, highlighted by a string of errors by Stony Brook that allowed them to gain momentum. A critical service ace from Avery Horejsi and solid blocking by Olivia Westfort and Sophia Van Name contributed to a mid-set advantage of 9-4. However, Stony Brook (8-7, 4-2 CAA) countered with a series of well-placed kills, drawing the score even at 11-11.

Despite a back-and-forth battle, the Tribe managed to keep pace with significant contributions from Nicole Smith, who delivered multiple key kills. The set remained tight, with both teams exchanging points until Stony Brook capitalized on a sequence of errors by W&M, pulling ahead to close the set with a 25-21 victory.

The second set began with the Green and Gold gaining an early foothold as Smith and Damisi Osibodu contributed to a 4-1 lead, capitalizing on Stony Brook's attack errors. William & Mary maintained pressure with additional kills from Van Name and Westfort, keeping the visitors ahead 10-7.

As the set progressed, Stony Brook rallied to level the score at 14-14, but W&M responded with a series of decisive plays, including a block by Westfort and Katherine Arnason. Despite trailing, the Tribe fought back to tie the score at 24-24, driven by Audrey Brcka's service ace and key kills.

The set concluded in a tense finish as Stony Brook edged out a 27-25 victory. The final stretch saw Stony Brook capitalize on a kill by Quinn Anderson and a blocking error, turning the tide in their favor.

The Green and Gold opened the third set with a kill by Osibodu, setting an early competitive tone. The Tribe then faced a surge from Stony Brook, who captured a 4-1 lead after a series of successful plays including a service ace. However, W&M responded with consecutive blocks involving Devereaux Hoxsie and Westfort, leveling the score at 4-4.

Midway through the set, the Tribe continued to apply pressure, with Beatriz Silva assisting on key kills, and Brcka contributing defensively. The teams traded points closely, with William & Mary briefly taking a 13-11 lead after capitalizing on opponent errors. Arnason's offensive efforts helped maintain momentum, but Stony Brook countered, resulting in a back-and-forth battle.

As the set approached its conclusion, W&M tied the score at 23-23 with another kill by Arnason. However, Stony Brook's late kills, including those from Kali Moore, allowed them to edge out the Tribe, concluding the set 25-23 in favor of Stony Brook.

STAT NUGGETS

• Horejsi tallied 18 digs and had five assists.
• Smith posted double-digit kills with 10.
• Osibodu had a season-best eight kills.
• Westfort tallied four total blocks.
• The Tribe defense had 10 total blocks.

UP NEXT
The Tribe will return home to face Towson at Kaplan Arena on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m.