Posted: Oct 25, 2009

BRYANT STUMBLES AGAINST SACRED HEART, DRAWS 3-1 LOSS TO PIONEERS SUNDAY AFTERNOON

October 25, 2009

BRYANT STUMBLES AGAINST SACRED HEART, DRAWS 3-1 LOSS TO PIONEERS SUNDAY AFTERNOON

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Despite a match-high 11 kills from sophomore Maria Scocca (Melrose, Mass.), the Bryant University volleyball team fell to Sacred Heart, 3-1, Sunday afternoon at the Pitt Center in Fairfield, Conn.

Scocca added a team-best three blocks, two of them solo stuffs, while freshman Macy Mitravich (Waimanalo, Hawaii) collected a contest-high 13 digs to pace the Bulldog defense on the day, but Bryant (9-18, 4-5 Northeast Conference) couldn't pull off the win, falling in four sets (21-25, 25-19, 10-25, 11-25).

Junior libero Robyn Gardner (Longwood, Fla.) also recorded double-digit digs with 10. Senior captain Julie Geonnotti (Eden Prairie, Minn.) paced the offense with 21 assists on the day as junior co-captain Adrienne Boss (Dracut, Mass.) chipped in eight kills, second to only Scocca.

The Bulldogs managed to knot the game at 1-1 after Sacred Heart (17-7, 7-1) took a one-set lead, but the Pioneers would easily close out the contest in the following sets.

A pair of Pioneers collected double-digit kills, led by Brittany Best's 11, while Courtney Kidd-Kadlubek dished out 38 assists. Johanna Ovsenek and Ashlyn Trimble each posted a match-high four blocks.

The Bulldogs return home for their next matchup, as they get set to welcome Saint Francis (PA) for a rematch on Oct. 31 (2 p.m.) at the Chace Athletic Center. Bryant topped the Red Flash, 3-0, in the teams' first meeting back on Oct. 11 in Loretto, Pa.