Stockton University Athletics

New York, NY - Stockton University (10-3) came from behind in the fifth and final set to take a 3-2 victory over Vassar College (6-7) in the first match of the NYU Tournament on Friday night. The scores were 23-25, 25-11, 25-27, 25-19 and 15-13. Nicole Palmer (Islip Terrace, NY/East Islip) led the way with a career-high 34 kills, an outstanding .444 hitting percentage and a team-high 13 digs for her eighth double-double of the season.
 
The Brewers took the first set 25-23, before Stockton responded with a dominant 25-11 second set win.
Palmer had 15 spikes through two sets with Kristen Burton (Annapolis, MD/Archbishop Spalding) dishing 15 of her career-high 31 assists.
 
The Brewers took set number three and looked to close the match out, but the Ospreys fought back to force a deciding set number five. Stockton led from the start, jumping out to an 8-3 lead before ending the set with a 25-19 win, heading to the fifth and final set.
 
Vassar ran off eight of the first 11 points, before Stockton answered. The Ospreys closed to 13-10 and then won the match with a 5-0 run to win 15-13. A kill by Naomi Neher (Lancaster, PA/Conestoga Valley), her only kill of the match, two kills by Palmer then a pair of blocks by Palmer and freshman Jaclyn Niven (Denver, CO/Cocalico), along with Charlotte Haynes (Oceanport/Shore Regional) gave the Ospreys the victory.
 
Niven filled the stat sheet in support of Palmer with seven kills and career-highs of five aces and six blocks. Freshman Ariana Bongiovanni (Charlotte, NC/Reddington) dished 23 assists and had 10 digs for her first career double-double. Olivia Magro (Brigantine/ACIT) was the only other Osprey in double figure kills with 12 spikes.
 
Stockton will finish the NYU Tournament tomorrow with a pair of matches. The Ospreys will take on host #21 NYU at 10 am, then face Baruch College at 12:15 pm.