VB stuns RMU, hands Colonials first NEC loss

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Despite falling in an 0-2 hole on the road at Robert Morris, the Bryant University volleyball team fought back for one of its best comeback wins of the season, winning the next three-consecutive sets to take a 3-2 victory and hand the Colonials their first conference loss of the 2011 season Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs (9-12, 3-3 Northeast Conference) took on the early deficit with 25-18 and 25-21 losses to the Colonials (8-11, 4-1) in the opening frames before coming back to take a 25-20 win in set three to close the margin to 2-1. Bryant eked out a 25-23 win one stanza later to even up the match score at 2-2, forcing a pivotal deciding fifth set.

In the fifth, Bryant took an 8-5 lead and extended the margin to 11-6 before the host Colonials closed the gap to 12-10 with kills from four different RMU players. The Black and Gold would go up 14-12 after kills from Maria Scocca (Melrose, Mass.), but a Hannah Veith kill and an ace from Erica Robb tied the score at 14-14.

But just like in the match's earlier moments, the Bulldogs wouldn't give in to the home side, digging in deep to complete the comeback thanks to a kill from senior Jazmin Stoner (Durango, Colo.) and the match-clinching point from Emily Kaup (Chandler, Ariz.) for a 16-14 set victory and a 3-2 match win over league-leading Robert Morris.

Both Stoner and sophomore Kendall Gaffney (Colorado Springs, Colo.) recorded double-doubles in the contest, and Stoner's 17 digs (16 kills) were a side best in the win.

Scocca tied a contest high with 17 kills to pace the Bulldogs and added a team-high five blocks – a number matched by Kaup – while junior Jadith Lorenzo (Lawrence, Mass.) dished out 46 assists. Alexandria Clyburn (Cartersville, Ga.) also recorded double-digit kills with 10. Six different Bulldogs served up aces in the outing, including two from Lorenzo.

Veith and Amanda Craig led the home side with 17 kills apiece and hit at a .424 and a .515 percent clip, respectively. Hannah Hoffman recorded a match-best 58 assists while Lindsey Monger registered Robert Morris's only double-double with 12 kills and a contest-high 24 digs.

The Bulldogs continue their weekend roadtrip Sunday afternoon, when they travel to Saint Francis (PA) for a 1 p.m. matchup.