Photo by DSPics.com
Photo by DSPics.com
Posted: Oct 26, 2018

Bryant hosts CCSU Saturday in NEC showdown

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University volleyball team hosts Central Connecticut Saturday night in a pivotal Northeast Conference match at the Chace Athletic Center.

The match between Bryant and Central Connecticut will be the Bulldogs vs. Breast Cancer match – a partnership between Bryant Athletics and the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation. Details on the Bulldogs vs. Breast Cancer partnership can be found HERE.

The Particulars
Opponent: Central Connecticut
Match Time: Saturday – 6 p.m.
Live Video: NEC Front Row
 Live Stats: Presto Sports 

Series History vs. Central Connecticut
 The Bulldogs are 7-17 all-time against the Blue Devils after Bryant's Oct. 12 sweep of CCSU in New Britain. Senior Kristin Kingi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) tallied a double-double of 15 kills and 13 digs, while freshman Jenna Knight (Scottsdale, Ariz.) recorded her first career match of 10 kills. 

Bulldog Notes and Notables

  • Bryant is 17-9 overall and 7-2 in the NEC, having won its last four matches. The Bulldogs went 2-0 on the Pennsylvania ­­trip last weekend with five-set victories at Saint Francis U and Robert Morris.
  • Three Bulldog freshmen collected double-digit kills in Saturday's win over the Colonials, including career-highs of 16 from Haley O'Brien (Milton, Mass.) and 12 from Knight.
  • The Bulldogs are tied with the Blue Devils for second place in the NEC with Bryant currently holding the head-to-head advantage. Both teams are two matches back of LIU Brooklyn with five regular season matches remaining.
  • Kingi passed Macy Mitravich last Friday at Saint Francis U for second in Bryant's Division I era in digs and now has 1,225 for her career, 134 back of Division I recordholder Debora Magalhaes.
  • The Bulldogs boast three of the top nine players in the NEC in kills per set. Redshirt-senior Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.) ranks third (3.29), freshman Caroline Kennedy (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) stands seventh (2.98) and Kingi is ninth (2.71).
  • Bryant is 43-6 (.878) at the Chace Athletic Center since the start of 2015.
  • Head coach Theresa Garlacy won her 500th career match in the Sept. 8 sweep of Coppin State. Garlacy is now at 511 career wins entering the weekend.

A Bit About Central Connecticut
 The Blue Devils are 10-10 on the year and 7-2 in NEC play after a 2-0 weekend in Pennsylvania. CCSU defeated Robert Morris in four sets Friday before a five-set victory at Saint Francis U Saturday. 

Madelyn Kaprelyan ranks fourth in the NEC in both hitting percentage (.295) and kills per set (3.25). Gala Galabova leads the NEC with 1.29 blocks per set, while Emma Henderson paces the conference with 0.45 aces per set. CCSU's .195 hitting percentage is second in the conference to Bryant's .205.

Up Next: Dartmouth
 Bryant will play its final non-conference match of the regular season when the Bulldogs host Dartmouth Tuesday at the Chace Athletic Center. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.

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