Blue Devils serve Bulldogs 3-0 home loss

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Five Blue Devils hit better than .300 while setter Ashley Lenington dished out 33 assists and three aces as Central Connecticut handed the Bryant University volleyball team a 3-0 loss Saturday at the Chace Athletic Center.

Heather Trueman paced the match with nine kills while Cassidy Stankowski and Veronica Ban added eight apiece for the visiting Blue Devils (14-7, 5-2 Northeast Conference). Sara DePouw (Oconto, Wis.) and Elena Lohr (Loveland, Ohio) led the Bulldogs (7-18, 3-4) with five kills each, while Jocelyn Taylor (Marlborough, Conn.) posted four blocks with four kills on the evening. DePouw also served up a trio of aces despite the loss.

The home side saw rookie Carissa Gould (Woonsocket, R.I.) post 13 assists, while senior libero Mikayla LaRosa (Marysville, Wash.) added 11 digs. Rachel Fish led the way defensively, totaling 15 digs for CCSU, while Rachel Dunlap registered a match-best six stuffs with a contest-high .750 attack percentage (6 kills).

Neither side led the opening set by more than three points until Lenington took the serve for the Blue Devils at 12-10. The sophomore setter would serve up 13-straight points from there, serving her side to a 25-10 final without interruption. The second frame stayed tighter throughout, but still saw the visitors come out on top, 25-22, despite five tie scores and four lead changes. But in the third, Central Connecticut would lead start to finish, hitting .538 with just a single error to take a 25-13 victory and the three-set match win.

The Bulldogs return to action Wednesday, Oct. 23 when they travel to former NEC foe Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., for a 7 p.m. matchup. The contest is the first of six straight on the road, with Bryant next playing at home in Smithfield Nov. 16.