Bulldogs split Day 1 action at Coppin St.

KLEIN PACES BRYANT TO DAY 1 SPLIT, BULLDOGS TOP CHICAGO STATE, 3-0, IN NIGHTCAP

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Junior Kaitlyn Klein (Modesto, Calif.) led the Bryant University volleyball team in both matches as the Bulldogs split Day 1 action at the Coppin State Tournament Friday, falling to Youngstown State in three sets before topping Chicago State in the same fashion in the nightcap.

Klein averaged 3.67 kills per set for 22 on the day, making only five errors for a .436 hitting percentage in the doubleheader. Rookie Claire Van Dyk (New Richmond, Wis.) trailed just behind with 14 kills, amassing a side-best five aces to compliment 19 digs and a trio of blocks. Defensively, senior captain Macy Mitravich (Waimanalo, Hawaii) led the way with 23 digs, while senior setter Jadith Lorenzo (Lawrence, Mass.) chipped in 12 with 52 assists (8.67 per set).

Against Chicago State (1-6) in the nightcap, the Bulldogs (2-3) saw Klein tally a match-high 13 kills on a .524 attack percentage, adding two blocks to a strong performance as Bryant took consecutive sets, 25-20, 25-23 and 25-21, for the team's first victory of the tournament.

Lorenzo's 31 assists also paced the contest, as did Mitravich's 14 digs, while Van Dyk served up three of the team's four aces on the outing. The Cougars also recorded a quartet of aces, as Alyssa Podwell picked up 11 kills and three blocks. Both teams stumbled at times, with the Bulldogs benefiting from seven Chicago State ball-handling errors and the Cougars taking 10 points off Bryant service miscues.

In the tournament opener earlier in the afternoon, Youngstown State (3-2) capitalized on four service errors from the Black and Gold and took advantage of a stronger block, hammering down eight to the Bulldogs' four.

Klein again recorded the match best but stayed in single digits with nine kills, while Mitravich made it two match highs on the day as well with a contest-best nine digs. Senior captain Emily Kaup (Chandler, Ariz.) collected the team's only two solo blocks of the day, one in each contest, to finish with a side-high five at day's end, tacking on eight total kills in the split.

The Penguins were led by Alexis Egler (8 kills) and Shannon Watson (7 kills, .583 attack percentage), and outhit the Bulldogs for accuracy, .349 to .062, as Bryant saw 24 errors in 81 attack attempts to Youngstown State's 10 faults. Jenna Cavanaugh put up six kills to match her contest-best six blocks (1 solo), while Casey D'Ambrose posted a match high with 23 assists.

The Bulldogs return to play at the Coppin State Tournament Saturday, when they take on North Carolina A&T at 2 p.m. before rounding out weekend action against the host Eagles at 6 p.m.