JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Brooke Zywick (Garden City, Mich.) had a career-high 38 digs and Becca Jones (Arlington, Va.) had 18 kills, nearly quadrupling her previous personal best and the Marist volleyball team ended a seven-match losing streak with a 3-2 (25-12, 21-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-7) win at Saint Peter's in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) match Sunday afternoon.
Zywick's 38 digs were the second-highest single-match total in Marist history and most since 2008. Hanna Stoiberg (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) had her fourth triple-double of the season with 16 kills, 31 assists and 13 digs. Katie Estes (Saugus, Calif.) had a double-double with 14 kills and 10 digs and Mackenzie Stephens (Holland, Mich.) tied her career-high with 11 kills. Marisa Gilbert (Pflugerville, Texas) had nine kills and four blocks. Audra Brady (Allentown, Pa.) had 36 assists and set a career high with 17 digs. Gena Russo (Rensselaer, N.Y.) was also in double digits with 11 digs.
The Red Foxes (5-9, 1-3 MAAC) got off to a strong start in the first set as they jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead. Estes had a kill and a service ace sandwiched around a kill by Gilbert and Jones and Courtney Shaw (Centennial, Co.) also registered kills. Saint Peter's (1-15, 0-4 MAAC) scored three straight points to tie the score at five however. With Marist holding a 9-8 lead, the Red Foxes went on a streak of nine consecutive points to open up a commanding 18-8 advantage. Stoiberg had two kills and combined with Gilbert for two blocks. Estes also had three kills and Gilbert added a kill as well. Two kills by Jones eventually finished the set 25-12 in favor of the Red Foxes.
It was the Peacocks turn to jump ahead in the second set, as they scored four of the first five points. A kill by Stephens and an ace by Russo eventually tied the score at six. The teams played back and forth until the Red Foxes scored four straight points to take an 18-15 lead. Estes and Gilbert had a block and Stoiberg had a kill in the run. Saint Peter's went on a 9-2 run from there however, taking a late 24-20 lead and held on to take the set 25-21.
The third set was tight the entire way, with neither team taking a lead of more than two until back-to-back kills by Jones put the Red Foxes up 20-16. After the Peacocks pulled to within one at 20-19, two kills by Stephens and one by Stoiberg brought the lead back to three for Marist at 23-20. An Estes' kill and Stoiberg ace provided the final margin at 25-21.
The fourth set was much of the same as the third. With Saint Peter's leading 14-11, four straight points for the Red Foxes put them ahead. Estes had a kill and an ace and Jones added another kill. The Peacocks came back with a 7-1 run however to take a controlling 21-16 lead late in the set. Marist fought back to within two at 21-19 on back-to-back kills by Stephens and Stoiberg, but Saint Peter's scored three if the final four points to win the set 25-21.
In the deciding fifth set, the Red Foxes came out with a vengeance. After Saint Peter's took the first two points, kills by Gilbert, Shaw and Stoiberg evened things up at 3-3. Following a Peacocks' point, Marist went on a 7-0 run to take a commanding lead at 10-4. Estes had three kills, Stephens had a kill and a solo block and Russo had an ace in the streak. With the lead extended to seven at 14-7, Gilbert put the Red Foxes back in the win column with her ninth kill.
Marist returns to McCann Arena for a midweek match against the MAAC preseason favorites Fairfield in a 7 p.m. match. The match will be broadcast live on The Red Fox Network.
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