BULLDOGS SWEEP SUNDAY DOUBLEHEADER; TOP ST. FRANCIS (NY), 3-1, BEFORE SWEEPING QUINNIPIAC, 3-0

October 18, 2009

BULLDOGS SWEEP SUNDAY DOUBLEHEADER; TOP ST. FRANCIS (NY), 3-1, BEFORE SWEEPING QUINNIPIAC, 3-0

Boxscore vs. St. Francis (NY) / Boxscore vs. Quinnipiac

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Behind a stellar day from sophomores Jazmin Stoner (Durango, Colo.) and Maria Scocca (Melrose, Mass.), the Bryant University volleyball team earned a sweep in Sunday's home doubleheader, beating St. Francis (NY), 3-1, before sweeping Quinnipiac, 3-0, at the Chace Athletic Center.

The pair of Sunday wins made it three-straight for the Bulldogs (9-16, 4-3 Northeast Conference), who now boast their first winning streak of the season and move to above .500 in league action.

Bryant's only loss of the day came in the first set of the early matchup against St. Francis (NY), a set the Terriers (2-15, 1-6) took, 25-23. After that, the Bulldogs would take the next three sets for a 3-1 match win, but not without a fight.

In the second set, Bryant fell behind by as many as five, but worked its way back into the game, 19-19. The Bulldogs took a 21-19 edge off kills from Stoner and Julie Geonnotti (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and never looked back, taking the set, 25-20, to even the match at 1-1.

In the third, it would be Bryant who took an early lead, allowing the Terriers to claw back in on the back of five-straight points off Ana Lucena serves. But with the set sitting at 20-17 in the home side's favor, Bryant's offense kicked back into gear, outscoring St. Francis, 4-2, to take a 25-19 victory.

The Black and Gold sealed the win in the fourth, 25-22, despite a back-and-forth set that saw 10 ties and five lead changes.

On the contest, Stoner would collect a match-best 18 kills to go along with seven digs, while Scocca registered 10 kills with a contest-high six blocks. Senior setter Adriana Fuertes (Miramar, Puerto Rico) recorded her first double-double of the season with 18 assists and 10 digs.

Anisa Lila and Detelina Dimitrova paced the Terriers offensively, each collecting 12 kills while Maria Kashavelova registered a match-best 33 helpers.

The Bulldogs followed up their 3-1 win with a rematch of Saturday's contest against Quinnipiac, a match Bryant won, 3-0.

And led by 10 kills from Scocca, the Bulldogs would have a repeat performance, sweeping the match in three sets, 25-13, 25-20, 25-21.

Bryant started off slow in the opening set, but quickly picked up speed to take a convincing 1-0 lead in the match. The Black and Gold would lead the whole way through the second set, despite the closer score, forcing another must-win situation on the Bobcats (3-20, 2-8) in set three.

The final set stayed tight throughout, with the biggest lead coming at 21-18, when a block from Geonnotti and Scocca thwarted a Chelsey Pachoud attack.

Bryant would earn a 23-19 advantage before Quinnipiac brought it to within two, 23-21. But a service error on the part of Kristen Corinaldesi and an attack error by Alyssa Naylor would doom the visitors, handing Bryant the set and match victory.

On the day, Stoner's 26 kills would pave the way for the sweep, while Scocca's 20 kills, 13 blocks and seven service aces paced the Bulldog offense. Freshman Macy Mitravich (Waimanalo, Hawaii) and junior Adrienne Boss (Dracut, Mass.) would also record double-digit kills with 15 and 14, respectively.

Junior libero Robyn Gardner (Longwood, Fla.) led the defense, picking up 51 digs and four aces on the two-match afternoon, while Fuertes and Geonnotti split the setting duties, dishing out 34 and 35 helpers each. Fuertes also chipped in four aces, while Geonnotti put up five blocks on the day.

The Bulldogs hit the road for their next matchup and will travel to Fairleigh Dickinson to face off against the Knights on Saturday, Oct. 24 (2 p.m.). Bryant will then have a quick turnaround, taking on Sacred Heart on Sunday, Oct. 25 (1 p.m.).