VB wins third straight behind Lohr, Gould

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – For the third-straight match, multiple Bulldogs posted new career highs Saturday night against Saint Francis University, as the Bryant University volleyball team took a 3-2 victory to win its third-consecutive contest and fifth in the last six outings on Homecoming Weekend.

Junior captain Elena Lohr (Loveland, Ohio) put up a career-high 21 kills to pace the Bulldogs (7-16, 3-2 Northeast Conference) and the match, while rookie setter Carissa Gould (Woonsocket, R.I.) handed out 37 assists and 10 digs, setting a personal best with the former while recording the first double-double of her young career.

The Red Flash (2-16, 2-3) saw three players finish in double figures, paced by 19 from Kayla Jeckell and 17 from Hannah Kutny, who recorded one of two double-doubles for the visitors (Leanne Haus – 10 kills, 11 digs).

The Bulldogs took the opening set in extra points for the fourth-straight frame going back to the team's last outing, and used three aces to power past the Red Flash, 29-27. But the hosts wouldn't need the extra effort in the second, posting a .478 attack percentage and hitting without a single error en route to a 25-16 victory and two-set advantage. Gould served up a pair of aces in the frame and would finish with a contest-high four on the evening.

But the third was a different story, with the Red Flash capitalizing on three Bulldog blocking errors while getting two aces, three blocks and 17 kills of their own to cut the deficit in half, 2-1, with a 25-23 win. Despite needing to push the score to 26-24, Saint Francis would knot the match at 2-2 in its next opportunity to force a deciding fifth frame.

But in that final set, it was all Bulldogs, as the hosts jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, going once again without an error to dominate the frame, 15-6, and pull out their second-consecutive five-set win.

The Bulldogs got at least two aces in each of the first four sets and totaled 10 on the match. Rookie Sara DePouw (Oconto, Wis.) paced the outing with five blocks, including one solo stuff, while senior Alexandria Clyburn (Cartersville, Ga.) posted four of her own, an impressive three of them coming in solo fashion. She also contributed eight kills and two aces on the day. Sophomore Claire Van Dyk (New Richmond, Wis.) picked up the team's second double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs, and the Black and Gold totaled nine blocks as a unit.

The Bulldogs will take their first winning streak of the season into their next bout, hosting NEC foe Robert Morris at the Chace Athletic Center Sunday at 1:00 p.m.