November slate begins with two in Pennsylvania
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The Bryant University volleyball team opens the month of November with a pair of weekend matches in Pennsylvania against Robert Morris and Saint Francis U.
The Bulldogs, who stand at 9-2 and in second place in the Northeast Conference, square off with the first-place Colonials Friday night looking to pull closer in the race for the NEC's No. 1 seed before facing the Red Flash Saturday.
The Particulars
Opponent: Robert Morris
Match Time: Friday – 7 p.m.
Location: UPMC Events Center (Moon Township, Pa.)
Watch: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
All-Time Series: Robert Morris leads, 13-10
Opponent: Saint Francis U
Match Time: Saturday – 4 p.m.
Location: DeGol Arena (Loretto, Pa.)
Watch: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
All-Time Series: Tied, 11-11
LAST TIME OUT: BRYANT 3, ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN 0
Double-doubles from junior Alisi Motu'apuaka (Virginia Beach, Va.) and freshman Emma McGovern (Long Beach, N.Y.) helped Bryant to a Saturday sweep of St. Francis Brooklyn at the Chace Athletic Center. Sophomore right side hitters Caroline Kennedy (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) and Jenna Knight (Scottsdale, Ariz.) tallied eight kills each and combined to hit .417.
ABOUT THE COLONIALS
Robert Morris is 20-3 and 10-0 in the NEC after a Wednesday sweep of Saint Francis U in Loretto. The 10-match winning streak is the second of the year for the Colonials, who opened the season 10-0.
Emma Granger led the Colonials with 3.05 kills per set on a .367 hitting percentage entering Wednesday, while Maria Alfano was hitting .352 with 2.70 kills per set. Granger has added 0.61 aces and 1.47 blocks per set. The Colonials rank ninth in the nation in blocks per set (2.89) and 15th in aces per set (1.78) through Tuesday.
ABOUT THE RED FLASH
Saint Francis U is 3-19 overall and 3-7 in conference play after falling to Robert Morris Wednesday. The Red Flash will host Sacred Heart Friday before facing Bryant Saturday.
Madi Tyus leads the SFU attack with 3.91 kills per set on a .222 hitting percentage and a team-high 3.06 digs per set. The Red Flash, who have been beset by injuries in 2019, have only three players who have appeared in at least 75 percent of their sets.
CAROLING IN OCTOBER
Kennedy will look to carry a stellar month of October into November. Kennedy hit .356 with 2.77 kills per set in nine October matches with hitting percentages of .571, .400 and .733 in the first three contests of the month.
THE WRIGHT CHOICE
Freshman Alysa Wright (Wayne, Pa.) has emerged as a presence in the middle over Bryant's last six matches, averaging 1.81 kills and 1.14 blocks per set. Wright collected a career-high 11 kills in the win over Central Connecticut and a career-best eight blocks in the victory at Long Island.
BIG GAME JAMES
Freshman Riley James (Pocasset, Mass.) has made an immediate impact in her first season in Black & Gold. James leads the Bulldogs in kills (2.64) and aces per set (0.42) while ranking second in digs per set (2.76).
WARD-WINNING PERFORMANCE
Junior Erika Ward (Rochester, Mich.) brought her career dig total to 1,324 with 31 in the weekend's two matches. The junior from Michigan enters Friday 51 back of Kristin Kingi's program record.
BLOCK & GOLD
Bryant is outblocking its opponents in NEC play, averaging 2.07 per set while allowing 1.89. Sophomore Haley O'Brien (Milton, Mass.) (1.14) and Wright (1.00) are both at one block per set or better in conference matches.
HITTING A HIGH NOTE
Bryant's .427 hitting percentage in the Oct. 4 sweep of Saint Francis U was its third-highest mark in the program's Division I era and best since 2008.
UNDERCLASSMEN LEADING THE ATTACK
Bryant has seen 92.1% of its kills come from its sophomores and freshmen in 2019. The Bryant sophomores, led by Kennedy (2.53 per set) have contributed 44.6%, while the freshmen, with James pacing the group (2.64 per set) have collected 47.5%.
UP NEXT: LONG ISLAND
Bryant hosts Long Island Friday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m. for Senior Night at the Chace Athletic Center. Tickets are available by clicking HERE.
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