BROOKLYN, N.Y.— The LIU Brooklyn volleyball team closed out the 2018 Blackbird Invitational with a 3-2 (25-23, 22-25. 21-25, 25-22, 9-15) setback against George Washington on Saturday afternoon at the Steinberg Center.
 
The Blackbirds (3-6) got off to an early 7-4 lead paced by a pair of kills from junior Kora Schaberl. The Colonials (3-5) would take two of the next three points before LIU sparked a six-point swing led by kills from freshman Myrthe Maring, senior Viktoria Fink and a service ace from junior Filippa Hansson for the 14-6 advantage. George Washington eventually clawed its way back with a five-point spurt to take the lead 21-20.  But the Blackbirds bounced back to take five of the last seven points paced by three kills from Fink to win the first set, 25-23.
 
George Washington held the first advantage in the second set with a 6-1 run to lead 6-3 over LIU. The lead would hold till the Blackbirds strung together a 6-1 of its own led by three kills from Schaberl to take the lead 13-10.  Both teams continued to trade points before the Colonials finally took back the lead with a 5-1 stretch to jump ahead 22-20.  LIU would tie it up and 22-all but the visitors claimed the second set 25-22.
 
Momentum carried over into the third for the Colonials with a six-point run for the 8-2 lead. George Washington continued to keep point difference before the Blackbirds strung together a 5-1 run with kills from graduate Alex Lilliquist and Schaberl. LIU would piece together a four-point run with a pair of kills by sophomore Jovana Stekovic late before the Colonials sealed the set 25-22.
 
The fourth set pulled in George Washington's favor with a five-point run to go up 6-1. LIU slowly worked its way back eventually landing a four-point stretch on kills by Maring, Hansson and an ace from junior Natalia Rivera to take a 15-14 lead. The Blackbirds would not trail the rest of the set keeping a three-point cushion with a 25-22 set win.
 
In the fifth and final set, an early five point run from first serve gave the Colonials the separation. LIU would not get to within five points as George Washington walked away with a 15-9 set win for the victory.
 
Schaberl led the Blackbirds with 14 kills to go along with five digs. Hansson and Stekovic tallied double-digit kills for the third straight match with 13 and 12 kills respectively.  LIU had two players with double-digit digs with Rivera recording 29 digs and Lilliquist with 14. Sophomore Piper Matsumoto registered 43 assists.
 
BLACKBIRD INVITATIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
 

Jaeden Brown- USF *MVP

Clara Payne- USF

Briana Stowell - USF

Filippa Hansson - LIU

Natalia Rivera - LIU

Katie Kerins - HC

Alexis Lete - GW

UP NEXT
 
The Blackbirds travel to Miami for a two-game weekend beginning on Friday, September 14 in the last non-conference action before NEC play.