Bobcats take 3-0 victory over Bulldogs Wednesday night

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Despite a match-best 13 kills from senior captain Sara DePouw (Oconto, Wis.), the Bryant University volleyball team suffered its first-ever Division I loss to Quinnipiac Wednesday evening, dropping a straight-set decision at Burt Kahn Gymnasium.

DePouw added a .435 attack percentage to lead the Bryant (2-3) offense and the match, while junior Kiley Robbins (Garland, Texas) added 10 kills. Classmate Ally Lunsford (Minneola, Fla.) chipped in five more kills and put up three blocks, but 16 team stuffs from the Bobcats (4-1) stifled a Black and Gold attack that finished with just a .068 hitting percentage.

Senior captain Vika Katzen (Kfar Saba, Israel) dished out a match-leading 36 assists and registered one of only two Bulldog aces (Lunsford). Sophomore Grace Richmeyer (DeSoto, Mo.) added three blocks, including one solo stuff, while sophomores Margot Ruffieux (Cary, N.C.) and Kristin Kingi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) paced the side on defense with 14 and 12 digs, respectively.

Kat Miller and Natalie Alechko led Quinnipiac on the night with 10 and nine kills, respectively, as the Bobcats posted a .212 team hitting percentage. Maria Pansari doled out 25 assists with an ace, six digs and three blocks, but it was Miller (8 blocks, 2 solo), Elizabeth Kloos (7 blocks) and Allison Leigh (7 blocks, 1 solo) who were stellar at the net to anchor the Quinnipiac win. Alejandra Rodriguez finished the contest with 15 digs.

Despite falling in the first set, 25-16, the Bulldogs led for the majority of the second, going up by as many as three, 17-14, before the Bobcats tied the frame up at 18-18 with a Pansari kill. The teams traded points over the next eight rallies, and Quinnipiac took its first advantage of the set at 23-22 thanks to a Rodriguez ace. The Bobcats took two of the next three points to secure the 25-23 margin and take the second set.

The third stanza was also tight, featuring 14 ties and seven lead changes, but five kills from Miller and four more from Alechko tipped the margin in another 25-23 Bobcat victory to secure the 3-0 match win.

The Bulldogs return to action Friday, when they take on UMass Lowell (2:30 p.m.) and Fairfield (5:00 p.m.) in the Holy Cross Invitational in Worcester, Mass.