Pair of contests await Bryant this weekend

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Looking to snap a four-game losing streak, the Bryant University volleyball team will head to Brooklyn, N.Y., to take on St. Francis (NY) on Saturday, Oct. 22, before returning home on Sunday to face Central Connecticut State University.

The Bulldogs (9-16, 3-6 NEC) are facing both opponents for the second time this year and have split the previous meetings. Bryant defeated the Terriers (1-24, 0-9), 3-0, at home in the first weekend of October. In that matchup, Bryant accumulated a .343 attack percentage, its best of the season, .343. Junior setter Jadith Lorenzo (Lawrence, Mass.) led the charge with career-best attack percentage of .875, registering seven kills in just eight attempts. She also contributed a match-high 21 assists and six digs.

Bryant will complete its first away-home weekend of the season when it hosts CCSU (14-7, 6-2 NEC) on Sunday at the Chace Athletic Center. The Blue Devils handed the Bulldogs a 3-1 defeat the first time the two teams met in New Britain, Conn., in September. The match was much closer than the results show, however. After dropping the first set, the Bulldogs rallied to take set two, 25-21, and had set-point in game three before CCSU rattled off three-straight points to take the game, 26-24. It took a four-point rally from the Blue Devils in game four to finish the match, as they scored 12 of the final 16 points, winning 25-22. Senior Maria Scocca (Melrose, Mass.) had a team-high 13 kills, and sophomore Kendall Gaffney (Colorado Springs, Colo.) added 12 to pace the Bulldogs.

The Black and Gold are coming off a 3-1 loss to Providence College on Wednesday night. Scocca led Bryant with 13 kills and five blocks, and sophomore Mikayla LaRosa (Marysville, Wash.) posted a team-best 11 digs on the evening.

Following their two matches this weekend, the Bulldogs will have a week off before heading to Hamden, Conn., on Saturday, Oct. 29, to take on Quinnipiac University.