Bryant runs winning streak to four with sweep of Holy Cross

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Junior Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.) tallied 13 kills on a .360 hitting percentage and added another play to her personal highlight reel as the Bryant University volleyball team won its fourth-straight match with a sweep of Holy Cross Tuesday night at the Chace Athletic Center.

Match Information
Bryant 3, Holy Cross 0 (25-23, 25-16, 25-23)

Records: Bryant 6-6, Holy Cross 3-7
Location: Chace Athletic Center

Coach Garlacy's Comments
"Our team defense and near-perfect serve receive led by Kristin Kingi allowed us to beat a very scrappy Holy Cross team. Julia Flynn had another standout performance on both sides of the ball."

How it Happened

• Set 1 – Holy Cross led 21-20 in a back-and-forth opening set before a Bryant timeout. After Holy Cross tied it at 22, a Flynn kill gave Bryant the lead. Freshman Alisi Motu'apuaka (Fort Benning, Ga.) subbed in and served an ace to make it 24-22, and after a Holy Cross kill cut it to one, sophomore Brianna Bruny (Biscayne Park, Fla.) came up with a kill to win the first set.
  
  
• Set 2 – After Holy Cross cut the lead to 8-7, the Bulldogs responded by rattling off the next six points. The lead would not shrink below five, as Bryant scored six of the final eight points in the set to pull away for the 25-16 victory
  
  The set point was kept alive by an acrobatic play from Flynn, who kicked the ball over the net while on her back to continue the play before an eventual Holy Cross attack error. (Flynn's highlight-reel play can be seen by clicking here.)
  
  
• Set 3 – The Crusaders once again led 21-20 before four straight Bryant points turned the tables. Kills by junior Grace Richmeyer (DeSoto, Mo.) and junior Kristin Kingi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) gave Bryant the lead before an ace from junior Kirstyn Sperry (Phoenix, Ariz.) pushed the advantage to 23-21. A Holy Cross attack error brought it to match point, and after two Holy Cross points cut the lead to one, Kingi picked up the kill to win the match.

Stats/Notes                                                         

• Flynn tallied a match-high 13 kills on a .360 hitting percentage (13-4-25) and added 15 digs.
• Sperry had 21 assists and 17 digs in the win, with the dig total one shy of a season-high and her third-straight double-digit dig output.
• Junior Julia Malet (San Rafael, Calif.) also collected a double-double with 18 assists and 10 digs.
• Freshman Erika Ward (Rochester, Mich.) tallied 12 digs, while Motu'apuaka collected three aces.
• Dating back to last season, the Bulldogs have now won 11 straight matches at the Chace Athletic Center and are 29-3 at home since the start of 2015.
• Bryant improves to 12-5 all-time against Holy Cross and has won seven straight matches against Patriot League competition dating back to 2014.

Up Next
Bryant travels to Long Island for three matches this weekend at the Hofstra/Asics Invitational. The Bulldogs will open the weekend Friday at 3:30 p.m. vs. Syracuse.