The Pirates won two out of three games in the Seton Hall Invitational over the weekend.
On Saturday night the Pirates were swept by the 7-1 Yale Bulldogs 16-25, 17-25, 13-25, in the final game of the tournament.
Senior Allie Matters collected 22 digs to tie Rice's Tracy Lam for the nation's longest double-figure dig streak at 52 consecutive games.
"Allie Matters has always been our team's leader," head coach Kris Zeiter said.
Yale started the first set by taking the quick lead on an ace and building a 12-7 advantage.
Tournament MVP Cat Daily's kill sparked the Bulldogs' offense and put Yale up 19-12. They eventually took the first set, 25-16.
The Hall took the lead early in the second set, 4-2, after sophomore Rachael Thornquist's kill.
The Bulldogs then went on a 5-0 run to take the lead, 12-6.
The Pirates failed to mount a comeback, putting Yale up 2-0 in the match.
The Pirates challenged Yale in the third set after Thornquist's kill tied the score, 7-7.
However, the Bulldogs went on another run 6-1.
Yale finished on a 12-5 run to complete the sweep of the Hall.
Morgan DeVries posted seven kills and three blocks in the game.
Thornquist ended with eight kills and five digs.
On Saturday morning the Pirates topped the Hofstra Pride, a 3-11 team, in a 3-2 match up.
The Hall took an early 8-3 lead to begin the contest, eventually capturing the first set 25-12.
In the second set Thornquist put the Pirates up 19-11, but Hofstra gained momentum by cutting the deficit to three, 21-18.
The Pirates scored four straight points to take the 2-0 lead in the game.
Hofstra took a 21-18 lead late in the set, eventually holding on to force a fourth set.
The Pirates went on a 4-0 run to tie the score 18-18 in the fourth.
Hofstra fired back, going on a 5-1 run to take the lead 23-19.
Seton Hall went on another 4-0 rally to regain momentum, 24-23.
After back-to-back Pirate miscues, the Pride won the set 25-24, tying the match at 2-2.
Three DeVries kills during a 5-0 run gave the Hall a 10-6 lead in the fifth and final set.
Hofstra pulled within three but the Pirates held on to win the match, 3-2.
Thornquist had a career-high 25 digs, along with 15 kills.
Both of Seton Hall's setters finished with double-doubles.
Junior Megan Murison collected 10 digs and 23 assists, and freshman Olivia Trudeau posted 10 digs and 32 assists.
On Friday, the opening night of the tournament, the Pirates swept NJIT, a 9-3 team, in three sets.
The Hall took a 7-2 lead in the first set and never looked back, winning the frame 25-18.
Matters posted 10 digs in the first set for the Pirates, collecting 17 in the game.
After a 10-10 tie in the second set, junior Sarah Osmun's ace put Seton Hall up 15-12.
A late 6-1 run allowed the Pirates to go up 2-0 in the game, 25-17.
Sophomore Meghan Matusiak's early kill in the third gave the Hall a 12-7 lead.
The Highlanders evened the score 14-14 after a 7-2 rally.
A two teammate block put NJIT up 23-22, when Seton Hall called a timeout to regroup.
Matusiak's crucial kill after the timeout tied the set, eventually allowing the Hall to seal the sweep after two Highlander miscues, 25-23.
Osmun had 11 kills along with 12 digs.
Sophomore Krissy Wrobel added eight blocks and three kills.
"Overall we played pretty solid," said Zeiter. "We're really young so we have been inconsistent, but we're getting better."
The Pirates travel to Delaware on Wednesday before starting Big East play on Sept. 26, facing Georgetown at home.
Matthew Bryant can be reached at matthew.bryant@student.shu.edu.
