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Photo by DSPics.com
Photo by DSPics.com
Posted: Nov 16, 2017

Bryant squares off with Central Connecticut Friday in NEC semifinal

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Bryant University volleyball team opens the Northeast Conference Championship Friday with a conference semifinal against Central Connecticut at LIU Brooklyn.

Bryant enters the NEC tournament as the No. 2 seed and faces the No. 3 seed Central Connecticut Friday. The winner of Friday's match advances to Saturday's final to face the winner of the other semifinal between No. 1 LIU Brooklyn and No. 4 Robert Morris.

The Particulars
Opponent: Central Connecticut
Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Match Time: Friday, 6 p.m.
Links: Live Stats | NEC Front Row
Match Notes: Bryant 

Series History vs. Central Connecticut
The Bulldogs are 5-14 against the Blue Devils but 4-2 over the last three seasons. The teams split the season series, with Bryant taking the meeting in Smithfield in four sets Sept. 29 and Central Connecticut winning in five in New Britain Oct. 20. 

Junior Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.) tallied 17 kills in the September win over the Blue Devils, while senior Ally Lunsford (Minneola, Fla.) added 14 on a .414 hitting percentage.

Bulldog Notes and Notables

  • Bryant is 21-11 on the year and 19-5 since Sept. 8. The Bulldogs enter the weekend on a four-match winning streak.
  • The Bulldogs captured their first NEC regular season co-championship Saturday, splitting the conference regular season title with LIU Brooklyn and Central Connecticut.
  • Junior Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.) is averaging 3.57 kills per set in NEC play and leads the team with 3.29 kills per set on the season. Senior Ally Lunsford (Minneola, Fla.) has posted a team-best .288 hitting percentage.
  • Freshman Erika Ward (Rochester, Mich.) has recorded a team-best 3.86 digs per set on the year, while junior Grace Richmeyer (DeSoto, Mo.) has tallied 0.98 blocks per set overall and 1.18 per set in NEC play. The conference total is good for second in the NEC.
  • Bryant has improved greatly in blocking this season, rising from eighth in the NEC in 2016 to third in 2017 at 1.98 per set. The Bulldogs have jumped more than 80 spots nationally.
  • Bryant is 36-4 at home since the start of 2015.

A Bit About Central Connecticut
Central Connecticut is 18-7 on the year and finished in a three-way tie with Bryant and LIU Brooklyn for the regular season crown. The Blue Devils enter Friday on a five-match winning streak and are 10-1 since Oct. 6.

Maddie Smith leads the NEC in 2017 with a .399 hitting per­centage and 1.46 blocks per set. The attack has been bal­anced for the Blue Devils, as Raquel Quirarte's team-leading 2.63 kills per set are followed by 2.61 each from Madelyn Kaprelyan and Samantha McCreath. Lindsey Massicotte has a team-high 5.34 digs per set.