SWARTHMORE, PA. - The Swarthmore College volleyball team opened its home invitational with a 3-1 victory over Stockton University on Friday night. The Garnet battled to a gritty four-set win, which was set in motion by a remarkable comeback late in the third stanza. 

Isabel Adam continued to build on her excellent sophomore campaign with her fourth-straight performance with double-digit kills. The outside hitter tallied 16 kills to pace the Garnet, while adding a .250 hitting percentage. She has recorded double-digit kills in nine of the last 10 games. 

Keira Miles had another efficient night, collecting 12 kills with a team-leading .423 hitting percentage. Madeline Mountcastle paced the offense with 28 assists, while Maya Sheridan added 15 assists with a team-high four aces. 

Melissa Eyer had another typical performance, pacing the squad with 26 digs. The total marks her fifth-highest of the season after recording 28 digs in four other games this year. 

SWARTHMORE 3, STOCKTON 1
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams played a tight opening to the first set. The Garnet took a three-point lead at 7-4 in a tightly-contested opening stanza. With Swarthmore ahead by two, the Ospreys rallied for three-straight to turn momentum in its favor. The Garnet would eventually regain control with a 6-1 swing, pulling ahead 19-17. Aiste Bardauskaite helped clinch the set with consecutive kills, securing a 25-20 opening-set victory. The stanza featured eight ties and four lead changes. 

- The Garnet controlled momentum early in the second stanza. Swarthmore took a 10-5 lead on four-straight points to force an Osprey timeout. Stockton then regrouped with a 12-4 stretch to pull ahead by three points, 17-14. Swarthmore kept clawing away at its deficit, eventually tying the game at 21-21 with a Bardauskaite block. However, the Garnet were never able to retake the lead as they dropped a thrilling ending to the second stanza.The Garnet pushed the Ospreys to the limit with a 24-24 tie, but surrendered back-to-back points to fall just short, 26-24. 

- After a competitive start to the third set, the Ospreys distanced themselves with a 9-3 run. The Garnet slowed down Stockton with three-straight points, before eventually shrinking its deficit to two points on consecutive kills from Mountcastle and Bardauskaite, 16-14. Swarthmore tied the game on a Stockton attack error and never looked back as they ended the set on a 4-1 rally. Alexia Enache recorded three of the final four kills, including a monstrous set-clinching kill off an over ball, which was sent back by the junior off a Stockton player's head, 25-22. 

- Swarthmore trailed 7-6 in the fourth set, before going on a 6-0 run to force a pair of early timeouts from the Ospreys. Swarthmore answered out of the timeout with a Sheridan service ace for its seventh-straight point, building a 13-6 lead. The Garnet kept the Ospreys in their rear-view mirror, closing the match with a 6-1 run. Ellie Streeper clinched the game with a service ace after playing a crucial role in turning around a pivotal third set. The Garnet won the final set, 25-14.


GARNET LEADERS
Kills: Adam 16
Aces: Sheridan 4
Blocks: Bardauskaite 2
Assists: Mountcastle 28
Digs: Eyer 26

UP NEXT
The Garnet (8-6) wrap up the Swarthmore Invitational against Suffolk University and Scranton University on Saturday.