Volleyball falls to Knights Sunday

Knights down Bulldogs 3-1 on Senior Day

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Behind junior Meaghan Wheeler's match-high 26 kills and Kelsey Semler's 26 defensive digs, visiting Fairleigh Dickinson rallied back from a 1-0 deficit to pick up a 3-1 Northeast Conference victory over Bryant University Sunday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center.

Wheeler hit .292 offensively and had just seven errors on 65 attempts to pace the Knights who have five of their last six matches to improve to 4-3 in the NEC (14-7 overall).

Following an emotional senior day tribute prior to the start of Sunday's match, Bryant (9-15, 3-6 NEC) came out strong in the opening set.  Back-to-back service aces from junior Jadith Lorenzo (Lawrence, Mass./ Lawrence International) put the Bulldogs up 22-16. Two hard kills from junior Emily Kaup (Chander, Ariz. / Corona Del Sol) pushed the hosts to set point at 24-18.

FDU would regroup and pull to within 24-20, but a diving dig by Jazmin Stoner (Durango, Colo./Durango) on an attempt from Wheeler helped set up a set-clinching kill from Kaup.

The Knights would even things up with a 25-18 win in the second and carried the momentum from there.  Up 16-13 in the third, FDU rattled off nine consecutive points to win 25-13 before closing things out with in the fourth behind the play of Wheeler.  The 5-foot-9 outside hitter recorded the final two kills of the match, just inside the side line, giving the visitors a 25-17 victory.

Bryant was led by its two seniors on "Senior Day."  Stoner finished with a team-high 12 kills and 13 digs, while classmate Maria Scocca (Melrose, Mass.) hit .308 with 11 kills and added three blocks defensively against the Knights.

Sunday's match was the 120^th of Stoner's amazing career.  She currently ranks in the top 10 in school history with 1,206 career kills while Sunday's match marked her 26^th career double-double.  A three-time NEC Academic Honor Roll selection, she has been named to five all-tournament teams during her career.

Scocca, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker, has played in 122 career matches during her career and also ranks in the all-time top-10 in career kills.  As a sophomore, Scocca set the all-time single-match school record with 15 blocks against Brown in 2009. She has been named to seven all-tournament teams and is the only active player named to the Bryant Volleyball All-Decade Team.

The Bulldogs will  return to action this Wednesday with a non-conference match at Providence (7 pm).