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Photo by Greg Barlow
Photo by Greg Barlow
Posted: Nov 02, 2017

Bryant hosts Fairleigh Dickinson, Sacred Heart for final home weekend of regular season

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University volleyball team plays its final two regular-season home matches Friday and Saturday when Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred Heart visit the Chace Athletic Center.

Saturday's match will be Senior Day for three Bulldogs – Ally Lunsford (Minneola, Fla.), Kiley Robbins (Garland, Texas) and Cassandra Sulmeisters (Centennial, Colo.).

The Particulars
Opponents: Fairleigh Dickinson, Sacred Heart
Match Time: Friday, 5 p.m.; Saturday, 5 p.m.
Friday Links: Live Stats | NEC Front Row
Saturday Links: Live Stats | NEC Front Row 

Series History vs. Fairleigh Dickinson
The Bulldogs are 13-6 against the Knights since Bryant joined Division I in 2008. Bryant picked up a four-set win in Teaneck Oct. 6, as junior Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.) tallied 18 kills and 16 digs. Senior Kiley Robbins (Garland, Texas) added 17 kills. 

Series History vs. Sacred Heart
The Bulldogs are 5-14 against the Pioneers in the Division I era, but 4-3 since the start of 2014. Bryant picked up a thrilling five-set victory in Fairfield Oct. 7, as the Bulldogs erased a 24-19 third-set deficit while trailing 2-0 in the match to storm back and win the match in five. Junior Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.) recorded 16 kills, while senior Ally Lunsford (Minneola, Fla.) and junior Grace Richmeyer (DeSoto, Mo.) each had seven blocks.

Bulldog Notes and Notables

  • Bryant is 17-11 on the year and 15-5 since Sept. 8. The Bulldogs enter the weekend tied with Central Connecticut for second in the NEC at 7-3, a half-match back of first-place LIU Brooklyn at 8-3.
  • The Bulldogs split last weekend's trip to Brooklyn with a sweep of St. Francis Brooklyn and four-set loss to LIU Brooklyn. Bryant swept Hartford in a midweek match.
  • Senior Kiley Robbins (Garland, Texas) hit .355 last week with 3.00 kills per set and was named Navigant Credit Union Bryant Athletics Athlete of the Week.
  • Junior Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.) is averaging 3.73 kills per set in NEC play and leads the team with 3.31 kills per set on the season. Sophomore Brianna Bruny (Biscayne Park, Fla.) has posted a team-best .279 hitting percentage.
  • Freshman Erika Ward (Rochester, Mich.) has recorded a team-best 3.90 digs per set on the year, while junior Grace Richmeyer (DeSoto, Mo.) has tallied 0.97 blocks per set overall and 1.22 per set in NEC play.
  • A pair of victories this weekend would match Bryant's Division I single-season wins mark of 19, originally set in 2015 and equaled last season.
  • Bryant would clinch an NEC tournament berth this weekend with two victories and a Robert Morris win Friday over Saint Francis U.

A Bit About Fairleigh Dickinson
The Knights are 5-20 and 1-9 in the NEC, with the lone conference victory coming Oct. 13 against St. Francis Brooklyn. Magdalena Maksimovic leads FDU with 2.62 kills per set on a .202 hitting percentage. Carly O'Sullivan has posted a team-high 4.24 digs per set, while Taylor Wyckoff leads the team with 0.92 blocks per set. 

A Bit About Sacred Heart
The Pioneers enter the weekend at 5-5 in the NEC, one-and-a-half matches behind fourth-place Robert Morris. Sacred Heart is 11-12 on the year but 4-1 in its last five leading into Friday's match at Central Connecticut. Makayla Dole leads the Pioneers with 3.59 kills per set, while Liisel Nelis has added 3.56. Madi Pope has recorded a team-high 3.70 digs per set.