Bulldogs split final day of Brown Invite

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Senior outside hitter Jazmin Stoner (Durango, Colo.) put up a combined 18 kills while co-captain Maria Scocca (Melrose, Mass.) ended the day with 10 blocks as the Bryant University volleyball team split a pair in the final day of the Brown Invitational, topping Fordham, 3-0, before falling to the Bears by the same score in the nightcap.

Sophomore Alexandria Clyburn (Cartersville, Ga.) followed up a career outing Friday with another 12 kills and five blocks to total 27 kills on the weekend and earn the first all-tournament team selection of her career.

In the opening game of Saturday action, the Bulldogs (4-9) handled the Rams (2-8) with relative ease, taking the match with set wins of 25-14, 25-22 and 25-20. Fordham's Brittany Daulton led the match with 12 kills, but it was Stoner who paced the Black and Gold with nine, while second-year hitter Mariah Burgess (Urbana, Ill.) posted a contest-best .545 attack percentage, making just a single error with seven kills on 11 attempts.

Junior setter Jadith Lorenzo (Lawrence, Mass.) passed out 15 assists with Bryant's only two aces of the match, while Scocca added six blocks (1 solo) in the victory.

In the nightcap, the Bulldogs struggled against host Brown (4-6), who took a 2-0 lead with 25-15 and 25-21 set wins before needing extra points in the final stanza for a 26-24 margin and a 3-0 match win.

Bear hitter Maddie Lord registered the only double-digit kill performance of the night (11) as Stoner once again led Bryant with another nine kills. Clyburn's five blocks were a contest best and complimented six kills and a service ace. Scocca chipped in another four stops as the Bulldogs crippled the Bears at the net, out-blocking the home side, 18-8.

Junior libero Macy Mitravich (Waimanalo, Hawaii) also served up an ace and was among a trio of Black and Gold players with 10 digs. She would end the day with 22 total digs. Sophomore Leigh Fishback (Edmonds, Wash.) quarterbacked much of the tournament closer, leading the Bulldogs with 12 assists and adding seven digs.

The 1-1 day wraps up 2011 tournament action for the Bulldogs, who next hit the court Tuesday night at the University of New Hampshire (7 p.m.).