Bulldogs spend weekend in Pennsylvania to open up conference play

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University volleyball team begins Northeast Conference action this weekend on the road when it takes on Saint Francis U. on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and Robert Morris on Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

The Bulldogs (8-9) had turned their season around with a five-match winning streak from September 10-17, but suffered a tough 3-2 setback to intrastate rival Providence College on Tuesday night. Sophomore Kirstyn Sperry (Phoenix, Ariz.) posted a triple-double (14 kills, 21 assists, 15 digs) to lead Bryant in the loss, marking her second of the season which are good for the seventh most in the country. The reigning NEC Player of the Week has been outstanding of late, tallying at least 20 assists in five of the last six matches along with double-digit digs and at least five kills over the stretch.

Junior Kiley Robbins (Garland, Texas) was the only other Bulldog to finish with double-digit kills in the match (12), while senior setter Vika Katzen (Kfar Saba, Israel) earned a double-double with 28 assists and 12 digs. Junior libero Erica Vendituoli (Nashua, N.H.) added 18 digs, as she was one of five Bulldogs to finish the night with double-digit digs.

The Bulldogs will look to continue the stellar play against conference competition following last year's 10-4 mark in the NEC. Bryant has struggled against its western Pennsylvania foes, currently holding a 5-9 record against Saint Francis U. and a 4-11 record against Robert Morris. The Black and Gold split with both the Red Flash (4-9) and Colonials (6-8) during the regular season last year, as the home team won all four matches. Bryant met the Colonials in the program's first-ever post-season appearance, but fell to the eventual NEC Tournament champs, 3-1.  

Aiming to avenge the loss that ended their season, the Bulldogs enter the weekend led by Robbins and senior Sarah DePouw (Oconto, Wis.), who sit one and two with 119 and 118 kills, respectively. Sperry has 100 kills, while sophomore Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.) and junior Ally Lunsford (Minneola, Fla.) round out the top five with 96 and 93 kills, respectively. As a unit, the Bulldogs sit third in the nation in total kills with 778.

Bryant also sits third nationally in total assists with 728, as Katzen paces the floor leading her team and the conference with 401 and Sperry follows with 265. Lunsford leads the Bulldogs at the net with 36 blocks, while freshman Ava Patterson (Danville, Calif.), Sperry and sophomore Grace Richmeyer (DeSoto, Mo.) have denied 29, 28 and 28 attacks, respectively.

Scouting the Red Flash

Saint Francis U. enters the NEC opener with a 4-9 record   and recently ended a five-match skid with a straight-sets victory over Iona on Saturday, September 17. The Red Flash lead the league in attacks per set, but have been hitting at a 0.144 clip, which ranks sixth in the NEC. Senior outside hitter Breanna Opera paces her squad with 129 kills, followed by junior Kelsey Roush with 112 and classmate Emily Marcinowski with 107.

Sophomore setter Amelia Metzler has carried the Red Flash and been the primary facilitator of points with 362 assists, 323 more than the next highest. Junior libero Jenna Veres owns the second-most assists with 39, but she has filled her role exceptionally by sitting second in the NEC with 232 digs. She averages 5.16 digs per set to rank 23rd in the country.  

Scouting the Colonials

Robert Morris started the year 4-2, but has dropped six of the last eight matches. The defending NEC champs have been led by their ability handle serves and attacks, as the Colonials sit fifth at the Division I level with 972 digs. Senior outside hitter Arden Fisher sits seventh in the country with 287 digs and fourth with 5.52 per set, as she is one of four Colonials with over 100 digs. Fisher has been productive at the net with 32 blocks to sit third on the team, while sophomore Brianna Schmid paces Robert Morris on the defensive end with 43 blocks and senior Leah Dunivan has 34.

Matching her defensive efforts is Fisher, who has charged the offense as well. She is the only Colonial with triple-digit kills with a league-best 166. Sophomore Taylor Lord sits second on the team with 96, followed by Schmid with 94, while Dunivan has added 74. Sitting second in the league behind Katzen is junior setter Brianna Frakes with 395 assists. Sophomore Liz Cambell has tallied 107 assists, as her and Frakes have 502 of the team's 561 helpers.

Saturday's match against the Red Flash gets under way at 2:00 p.m. and first serve in Sunday's rematch with the Colonials is set for 3:00 p.m. Saturday's contest can followed along via live stats on SFUAthletics.com and Sunday's action can be followed along via live stats at BryantBulldogs.com or seen live on NECFrontRow.com.