U.S. Women Remain Undefeated in Win over Italy

By Bill Kauffman (bill.kauffman@usav.org)

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team, ranked No. 1 the world, was energized by its bench play Friday after as it defeated Italy 25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 25-20 during the Olympic Games Pool B being staged at Maracanazinho Arena in Rio de Janeiero, Brazil.

The Americans, now 4-0 in Pool B with 11 points and in first place, conclude pool play against the world’s No. 3 China on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET. Team USA, though already qualified for the Aug. 16 quarterfinals following its victory over Serbia on Wednesday, is aiming to grab the top seed from Pool B.

Earlier today China lost to Serbia 25-19, 25-19, 25-22 to fall to 2-2 with seven points. Serbia is now in second place with a 3-1 record and nine points. Serbia challenges fourth-place Netherlands on the final day of pool play prior to the USA’s match against China. A Team USA win will secure the top spot in the Pool B heading into the quarterfinals. However, an American loss to China means Serbia can slip into the top seed with a win over Netherlands despite having lost to the U.S. earlier this week.

The top four teams from the two six-team pools advance to the quarterfinals with the top seeds

Smith, Stillwell Lead Volleyball in 3-0 Sweep over Penn

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Junior Payton Smith recorded 11 kills, freshman Sabrina Stillwell tallied 10 kills, and Brown University volleyball swept the University of Pennsylvania in straight sets, 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-23), on Saturday night at the Pizzitola Sports Center.

The Bears (9-10, 3-4 Ivy) trailed just once in the match – when the Quakers (9-10, 3-4 Ivy) led 1-0 to start set two – and bounced back from a five-set setback to Princeton on Friday night.

"This team has a lot of heart. After losing a five-set match last night, knowing that we played two

WHITE POSTS DOUBLE-DOUBLE AS RIC DEFEATS WORCESTER STATE, 3-0

Providence, R.I.—Sophomore setter Abigayl White (Coventry, RI) registered a double-double with a match-high 31 assists to go along with 11 digs as the Rhode Island College women’s volleyball team swept Worcester State, 3-0, on Thursday evening at The Murray Center.

The Anchorwomen (15-7) downed the Lancers (6-14) for the second time, having previously defeated the Lancers, 3-1, at Wesleyan on Sept. 12.

The first set was close, but RIC pulled away in the end to win, 28-26. The hosts dominated the middle frame, 25-13, before earning the shutout with a 25-19, victory in the third set.

RIC capitalized on WSU’s struggles offensively, as the visitors hit just .026 (10-9-39) in the first set and -.069 (7-9-29) in the second stanza. The Anchorwomen hit .189 (28-18-106) for the match, which included a .345 (13-3-29) effort in the middle frame.

Senior outside hitter Kelsey Lace (Glendale, RI) posted a match-high 14 kills, while also contributing eight digs. Senior outside hitter Michelle Malboeuf (Cumberland, RI), junior middle hitter Sierra Smith (Longmont, CO) and freshman middle blocker Emily Langlais (West Warwick, RI) contributed nine, six and four kills, respectively. Malboeuf chipped in with 10 digs.

WSU senior outside hitter Jennifer Cabral (Swansea, MA) had nine kills and seven digs. Junior setter Jamika Townsend (Virginia Beach, VA) posted 21 assists and senior libero Kaylee Leduc (Swansea, MA) racked up 13 digs.

In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will face Eastern Connecticut at a tri-match hosted by Wheaton on Saturday, Oct. 17.

KELSEY LACE RECORDS 1,000TH CAREER KILL AS RIC GOES 2-1 AT LIVE FREE OR DIE INVITATIONAL

Nashua, N.H.--Junior middle blocker Sierra Smith (Longmont, CO) registered a .447 hitting percentage to go along with 19 kills and senior outside hitter Kelsey Lace (Glendale, RI) registered her 1,000th-collegiate kill as the Rhode Island College women’s volleyball team went 2-1 at the Live Free or Die Invitational co-hosted by Daniel Webster and Rivier on Friday and Saturday.

The Anchorwomen (13-7) topped Bridgewater State on Friday night 3-1 (18-25, 25-13, 25-23, 27-25), before splitting with the co-hosts on Saturday, falling to Rivier, 3-0 (25-16, 25-11, 25-15), in the opening match of the day and rebounding with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-18, 25-18) shutout victory over Daniel Webster in the afternoon.

RIC was led by Lace in the match against Bridgewater State, as she tallied a match-high 12 kills to go along with 10 digs. Sophomore setter Abigayl White (Coventry, RI) paced the Anchorwomen with 36 assists and junior Libero Megan Armburg (Swansea, MA) registered a team-best 12 digs. Smith hit .375 (7-1-16) for the match, while freshman middle blocker Emily Langlais (West Warwick, RI) notched eight kills of her own.

Senior outside hitter

In the loss to Rivier, Lace led the way in kills with eight, while senior outside hitter Michelle Malboeuf (Cumberland, RI) posted five kills and six digs for the Anchorwomen. White had 14 assists with Armburg and freshman Jillian Ward (Coventry, RI) each posting nine digs.

The final match of the tourney against Daniel Webster saw Lace record her 1,000th career kill. A transfer from Div. II St. Rose where she registered 722 kills, Lace recorded a team-best 12 kills in the match. Smith was also a standout performer, recording an astounding .769 hitting percentage (10-0-13) for the match. Malboeuf and Ward led the way with nine digs apiece with White once again pacing the squad with 25 assists.

Junior middle blocker Sierra Smith

On the weekend, Lace recorded 32 kills, 24 digs, three service aces and two blocks. Malboeuf was second on the squad with 20 kills to go along with a team-best nine aces. Smith (19), Ward (14) and Langlais (12) also recorded double-figure kills on the weekend. Armburg led the squad with 26 digs, while White led the team with 75 assists.

In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will resume Little East Conference action at home against UMass Dartmouth on Tuesday, Oct. 13 (6 p.m.).

Bears Run Win Steak to Five

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Senior Ashley Dumont had ten kills and hit .600 leading Coast Guard to its season-best fifth straight win a 3-0 victory over Mount Holyoke in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game.

Coast Guard which won by game scores of 25-12, 25-21, 25-14, improves to 13-5 overall and even its record in NEWMAC play to 3-3 while Mount Holyoke drops to 6-9 overall and 0-7 in conference play.

In the opening set, the Lyons led 6-5 before Coast Guard ran off six of the next seven for a 11-7 advantage. Mount Holyoke got back-to-back points cutting the deficit to 11-9 before the Bears ran off six straight and 12 of the next 14 points en route to the 25-12 win.

Coast Guard ran off five straight points for a 9-3 lead in the second set.  The Bears led 12-6 before Mount Holyoke eight of the next ten points to tie it at 14. The Lyons led 18-17 before Coast Guard scored three straight for a 20-18 edge. The Bears leading 21-20, would score four of the final five points for the 25-21 win.

In the final set, Coast Guard jumped out to a 6-2 lead and maintained that edge at 15-11 when the Bears scored six of the next seven pushing the lead to 21-12 and won it 25-21.

Sophomore Michelle McGill led the Bears with 12 digs while senior Maggie Hine had a match-high five aces and 33 assists in the win. Junior Susan West added nine kills for Coast Guard.

Freshman Joy Maran led the Lyons with six kills while classmate Sara Robicheau had a match-high 13 digs and junior Natalie Lyon led the way with 16 assists.

The Bears will take the Columbus Day weekend off before returning to action on Tuesday at Wheaton with start time set for 7 p.m.

Volleyball’s Stillwell Gains Ivy Rookie of the Week for Third Time

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown University volleyball freshman Sabrina Stillwell has gained Ivy League Volleyball Rookie of the Week accolades for the third time this season, the Ivy League conference office announced on Tuesday.

• Ivy League Weekly Release -- Week 6

A native of Laguna Beach, Calif., Stillwell recorded 5.00 kills per set on .403 hitting last weekend and landed 32 kills – the second most in a single match in school history – vs. Columbia as Brown beat Cornell (3-0) and Columbia (3-2). She has now earned Ivy Rookie of the Week honors three times in the award's first five weeks.

Against the Lions, Stillwell finished just two kills shy of the program record for kills in a match and became just the fourth Bear to record 30 or more kills in a match, fueling the Bears – who trailed 2-0 in sets – to the comeback win. She hit .466 in the match and posted seven or more kills in each of three sets. For the week, she tallied 40 kills with nine errors on 77 attempts.

For the season, Stillwell ranks second in the Ivy League with 181 total kills and stands third in the conference with 3.62 kills per set. She has posted double-digit kills in 11 of Brown's 14 matches.

Stillwell and the Bears return to action with a pair of Ivy road matches this weekend – at Harvard on Friday at 7 p.m. and at Dartmouth on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Stillwell Posts 32 Kills, Volleyball Comes Back to Top Columbia, 3-2

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Freshman Sabrina Stillwell recorded 32 kills – the second most in a single match in school history – to propel Brown University volleyball to a come-from-behind win over Columbia University, 3-2 (24-26, 20-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-8) on Saturday night at the Pizzitola Sports Center.

Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) finished just two kills shy of Brown's program record as Maddie Lord '15 recorded 34 kills for the Bears last season at Penn on Oct. 11, 2014. Stillwell becomes the fourth Brown student-athlete to register 30 or more kills in a match.

The Bears (8-6, 2-1 Ivy) stood on the brink in set three, trailing 2-0 in sets and 22-17 in the third set, but rallied to take the third frame from the Lions (3-9, 1-2 Ivy) and stormed all the way back to claim the five-set victory.

Stillwell hit .466 in the match and terminated on seven or more kills in each of three sets while junior Payton Smith (Atherton, Calif.) tallied 11 kills in support.

Senior Rachele Killian (Laguna Beach, Calif.) handed out a season and team-high 35 assists to go with a season-best 14 digs for her first double-double of the season. Sophomore libero Melissa Cairo (Hillsborough, Calif.) and senior Shannon Frost (Santa Ana, Calif.) contributed 20 and 15 digs respectively.

After dropping the first two stanzas, the Bears faced a 22-17 deficit in set three. Undeterred, Brown rattled off five straight points, including three kills from Stillwell, to knot the score at 22-22. The hosts closed the 26-24 set win with four of the last five points, and Stillwell totaled nine kills in the set.

In set four, Brown turned a 10-4 deficit early in the period into an 18-13 advantage, outscoring the visitors 14-3 over the stretch. Columbia pulled within 21-19, but the Bears won four of the last five points for the 25-20 win. Stillwell landed 10 kills in the frame.

In the deciding set, the Bears earned an 8-6 advantage at the switch and captured seven of the last eight points to triumph 15-8 in set five. Stillwell added four more kills in the period.

Brown led 7-1 early in set one before Columbia countered to take a 13-10 lead. The Bears gained a 22-17 advantage, but the Lions came back to tie it at 23-23 on the way to a 26-24 win in extra points.
Both teams played within two points of one anther for the majority of set two with the score still tied at 20-20 as the frame witnessed 17 total ties. The Lions used a 5-0 run to end the frame for a 25-20 win.

Next, Brown plays two Ivy matches on the road next weekend at Harvard (Fri., Oct. 9, 7 p.m.) and at Dartmouth (Sat., Oct. 10, 5 p.m.).

MALBOEUF NAMED MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER AS RIC WINS WILDCAT CLASSIC

Providence, R.I.--Senior outside hitter Michelle Malboeuf (Cumberland, RI) was named the Most Outstanding Player and senior outside hitter Kelsey Lace (Glendale, RI) earned All-Tournament Team honors as the Rhode Island College women’s volleyball team finished in first place at the Johnson & Wales Wildcat Classic on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2-3.

The Anchorwomen (11-5) pushed their winning streak to seven contests with victories over the hosts, Johnson & Wales (11-5), 3-0 (26-24, 25-22, 25-23), and the University of New England (3-9), 3-2 (25-18, 24-26, 25-18, 23-25, 18-16) on day one, while besting Rutgers-Newark (9-6), 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-21) and Bridgewater State (9-11), 3-2 (25-21, 18-25, 25-21, 26-28, 15-12) on day two to capture the championship.

The Anchorwomen cruised past the host Wildcats on the first day of the

Volleyball Sweeps Cornell in Straight Sets in Home Opener, 3-0

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island – Sophomore Shirin Tooloee notched a season and match-high 13 kills to lead Brown University volleyball past Cornell University in straight sets, 3-0 (25-11, 25-23, 25-15), in its home opener at the Pizzitola Sports Center on Friday night.

The Bears (7-6, 1-1 Ivy) took convincing wins from the Big Red (4-8, 0-2 Ivy) in the first and third sets and persevered through 12 ties and six lead changes to win set two.

Tooloee (San Jose, Calif.) tallied her first match this season with double-digit kills on .414 hitting

Volleyball Set to Make 2015 Home Debut vs. Cornell, Columbia

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island – Brown University volleyball plays on its home court for the first time in 2015 when the Bears host Ivy League rivals Cornell University on Friday at 7 p.m. and Columbia University on Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Pizzitola Center.

FOLLOW THE BEARS
Vs. Cornell: Live Stats | Live Video
Vs. Columbia: Live Stats | Live Video
On Twitter: @Brownvball | @BrownAthletics
On Facebook: Brown Volleyball | Brown Athletics
Via Hashtag: #GoBruno

LAST TIME OUT
Brown challenged defending Ivy League champion Yale in an eventual, 3-1 (25-22, 21-25, 25-15, 25-21), setback at the Bulldogs' Lee Amphitheater on Sept. 25 in the Ivy opener for both teams. Freshman Sabrina Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) led the Bears with 15 kills while sophomore libero Melissa Cairo (Hillsborough, Calif.) tallied a match-high 21 digs.

AT THE NET
Freshman Sabrina Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) ranks third in the Ivy League in total kills (141) and fourth in the conference in kills per set (3.36). Stillwell has earned the league's Rookie of the Week Award twice and has posted double-digit kills in 10 of 12 matches.

Junior Payton Smith (Atherton, Calif.) paces the Bears from the middle, averaging 2.71 kills per set with a .325 hitting percentage. She won CCSU Invitational MVP honors while hitting .900 – the second-highest, single-match mark in school history – vs. Holy Cross at the tournament.

DEFENSE AND PASSING
Sophomore Melissa Cairo (Hillsborough, Calif.) has moved into the libero position for Brown this fall and stands atop the Ancient Eight in both digs per set (5.13) and total digs (205). She has notched double-digit digs in 11 of 12 contests.

Junior Sarah Lucenti (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and senior Rachele Killian (Laguna Beach, Calif.) have rotated at the setter spot, distributing 5.43 and 5.31 assists per set respectively.

THE MATCH-UPS IN 2014
Brown swept both Cornell and Columbia last season, tallying a combined 4-0 record against the two opponents. The Bears took 3-2 decisions at home over both the Lions and the Big Red in the first half of the series in October and gained 3-1 wins on the road at both adversaries in November.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Cornell brings a 4-7 overall record and a 0-1 Ivy mark into the weekend as the Big Red fell to Columbia, 3-1, in its Ivy opener. Three different players have averaged over two kills per set in Emily Wemhoff, Macey Wilson (who ranks third in the league with 1.05 blocks per set), and Carla Sganderlla. Chelsea Sincox ranks fifth in the Ivy League with 4.07 digs per set.

Columbia carries a 3-7 overall mark and a 1-0 Ivy record into the weekend, including its 3-1 win over Cornell. Two Lions rank in the league's top five in blocks in Katarina Jovicic (second, 1.10 b/s) and Kesi Neblett (fourth, 1.03 b/s). Zoe Jacobs stands fifth in the league with 3.19 kills per set while Cassie Wes ranks third in the conference with 4.33 digs per set.

COMING SOON
After hosting Cornell and Columbia, the Bears will continue Ivy play at Harvard University on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. and at Dartmouth College on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 5 p.m.

IVY LEAGUE DIGITAL NETWORK
Video of all home contests and all Ivy League games, home and away, will be broadcast live on ILDN.TV/BROWN. Fans can subscribe and view games by purchasing yearly, monthly, weekly or daily packages.