Klein propels Bulldogs to 3-0 win in season finale

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- The Bryant University volleyball team ended its 2012-13 season with a win Sunday afternoon, topping Fairleigh Dickinson on the road in straight sets behind a match-high 16-kill performance by junior Kaitlyn Klein (Modesto, Calif.).

Klein hit at a .429 clip and chipped in a block and three digs in the season finale while sophomore libero Elena Lohr (Loveland, Ohio) paced the contest with 20 digs and senior Jadith Lorenzo (Lawrence, Mass.) put up 42 assists for a match best. Lorenzo fell just a single dig shy of her sixth double-double, adding nine digs, a block and three kills.

Junior Alexandria Clyburn (Cartersville, Ga.) led the Bulldogs (12-21, 6-9 Northeast Conference) with a match-high seven blocks, including two solo stuffs, and added nine kills and an ace. Rookie Claire Van Dyk (New Richmond, Wis.), meanwhile, picked up eight kills with 10 digs.

The Knights (8-21, 4-12) were led by 12 kills from Violeta Slabakova and 17 digs from Deborah Hong. Allison Butler dished out 25 assists as FDU saw 25-14, 27-25 and 25-20 defeats to fall to visiting Bryant, 3-0.

On the afternoon, the Bulldogs outkilled their hosts, 50-34, with a .233 attack percentage. The Black and Gold won the margin on defense, 69-65, and at the net, posting 9.5 team blocks (17 individual blocks) to the Knights' two team stuffs (4 individual).

With the win, the Bulldogs finish the 2012 season sixth in the Northeast Conference rankings, just two spots shy of the tournament cut.