Van Dyk, Kmec, Clyburn post career numbers as Bulldogs top FDU, 3-1

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomore outside hitter Claire Van Dyk (New Richmond, Wis.) scored a match-best 21 kills, recording one of three new career-highs, as the Bryant University volleyball team topped visiting Fairleigh Dickinson, 3-1, Sunday afternoon.

The victory brought the Bulldogs (5-16, 2-2 Northeast Conference) back to .500 in league play and kept the Knights (1-16, 0-4) winless in NEC play. Sophomore setter Jana Kmec (Stratford, Conn.) joined Van Dyk in setting a new personal best, dishing out a match-high 47 assists while adding four blocks, including a pair of solo stuffs in the outing.

Senior Alexandria Clyburn (Cartersville, Ga.) tied her career mark on the block, picking up seven in total with one solo to compliment a match-best three aces and seven kills. Rookie Sara DePouw (Oconto, Wis.) added 13 kills for the Black and Gold with five blocks (1 solo) as the team totaled 14 team blocks in the four-set win.

Defensively, junior captain Elena Lohr (Loveland, Ohio) paced the contest, picking up 15 digs to go along with nine kills and three stuffs, while senior libero Mikayla LaRosa (Marysville, Wash.) added 11 and Van Dyk registered 10 more for the team's only double-double effort on the day.

For the Knights, Violeta Slabakova led the charge with 15 kills and added a team-leading 14 digs, while Allison Butler dished out 37 assists and Caroline Laton posted a match-high eight blocks (1 solo) on the afternoon.

Bryant led by as many as seven in the opening set and held a 17-11 advantage on a charge led by Van Dyk. But the Knights caught fire soon after, scoring nine of the next 12 points to tie the match at 20-20 – the first of seven ties that ran the score to 27-27 before back-to-back kills from DePouw and Van Dyk won the set for the home side. Van Dyk dominated the frame offensively, knocking down 11 kills without and error (.647) to pace the hosts to a .341 team hitting percentage on the set.

In the second, Bryant went on an 8-1 run to knot the score at 12-12, a streak that was part of a longer 15-3 stretch that put the Bulldogs outing in front, 19-14. The home side would stay out in front through the end of the set for a 25-22 victory and 2-0 match lead.

In the third, the Black and Gold trailed early, as FDU turned an 8-3 edge into a 15-9 and later 18-10 advantage. Only this time, the visitors would hold on to take the set, 25-22. But in the fourth, Bryant would lead start to finish, earning its third win in the last four contests with a 25-17 set victory.

The Bulldogs look to carry their momentum into their next matchup, a Tuesday night non-conference home contest against Holy Cross (7 p.m.).