Thornlow, Van Dyk pace Bulldogs to 3-2 win

ROOKIE DOUBLE-DOUBLES LEAD BRYANT TO 3-2 VICTORY OVER FDU SUNDAY AT HOME

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – A pair of rookies in Jordan Thornlow (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Claire Van Dyk (New Richmond, Wis.) recorded double-doubles and produced at key moments for the Bryant University volleyball team, as the Bulldogs gave up an early 2-0 lead before bouncing back in the deciding set to earn their first Northeast Conference win of the year, 3-2, over Fairleigh Dickinson Sunday afternoon.

Van Dyk's 14 kills paced all Bryant (7-14, 1-4 NEC) scorers and the frosh added 11 digs and a match-best five aces to vault the home side to the five-set victory. Thornlow's 25 assists led the side and complimented 10 digs, both numbers marking career highs for the first-year Bulldog, who recorded the first double-double of her career.

Juniors Kendall Gaffney (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Alexandria Clyburn (Cartersville, Ga.) also posted double-figure kills with 10 and 12, respectively, while sophomore libero Elena Lohr (Loveland, Ohio) registered a season-high and match-best 26 digs, just one shy of her career high, and added a career-best eight assists.

Meaghan Wheeler paced the match with 19 kills for the Knights (7-11, 3-2), producing a double-double of her own with a side-high 17 digs. Allison Butler put up 44 of FDU's 54 assists and added 10 digs, while Violeta Slabakova chipped in 16 kills and four aces for the visitors.

The Bulldogs took charge of the match at the onset, opening up a 2-0 edge with 25-20 and 25-16 wins in the first two sets. But in the third, the Knights capitalized on eight Bryant attacking errors and served up five aces to cut the gap in half with a 25-13 victory. The fourth saw FDU take the lead before the hosts stormed back to force extra points at the last second, but the Knights would end up on top, 28-26.

In the deciding fifth set, FDU maintained the momentum, taking a 13-9 advantage over the Black and Gold. But kills from Gaffney and Kaitlyn Klein (Modesto, Calif.) and an ace from Thornlow knotted the set at 13-13. The teams would battle back at forth, as the score was tied again at 15-15 before the Bulldogs pulled out the final two points for a 17-15 win and the 3-2 match victory, ending the contest on a huge block from senior Emily Kaup (Chandler, Ariz.) and sophomore Jocelyn Taylor (Marlborough, Conn.).

In all, the match featured 29 ties and 10 lead changes as Bryant evened the season series at 1-1 between the two sides. The hosts outkilled their opponents, 61-58, and won the battle in digs (80-66) and attack percentage (.190 to .155). Both teams recorded nine aces and 54 assists in the outing.

The Bulldogs wrapped up a four-match home stand with the win and will return to action Saturday, Oct. 13 at LIU Brooklyn (1 p.m.).