Bulldogs top Binghamton, 3-1, split Day 2 action in Akron

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University volleyball team wrapped up the Akron Invitational Saturday with a 3-1 victory over Binghamton, earning a split of Day 2 action in northeast Ohio.

All-tournament team selection sophomore Sara DePouw (Oconto, Wis.) paced the contest with 15 kills and a .565 attack percentage, adding three blocks to one of her best performances of the young 2014 season. Senior captain Elena Lohr (Loveland, Ohio) added 12 more kills after pacing the Bulldogs (3-6) in the first outing of the day, a 3-0 loss to Austin Peay, and recorded her third double-double of the year with 12 digs.

After falling to the Bearcats (0-6) in the first set, 25-22, the Bulldogs evened the score with a 25-17 set-two victory and never looked back, winning the next two frames, 25-15 and 25-14, for the 3-1 final margin.

Rookie Cassandra Sulmeisters (Centennial, Colo.) added eight kills to compliment a nine-dig effort against Binghamton, while DePouw led a much-improved Bulldog block with a quartet of stuffs (1 solo). Setter Vika Nesterov (Kfar Saba, Israel) posted three block assists of her own to go along with 34 assists, and the redshirt-freshman was one of three Bryant players to post an ace on the match. Frosh Kiley Robbins (Garland, Texas) added seven kills with three blocks (1 solo) as the Black and Gold hit a season-best .352 for the contest. Junior libero Debora Magalhaes (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) posted 17 digs to pace the outing.

Binghamton was led by 15 kills from Alexis Lagoy and 12 more from Kristin Hovie, while Allison Hovie added nine more. Amanda Dettmann's 39 assists marked a match best, while Bailey Walker tied Magalhaes's mark of 17 digs.

In Saturday's opener against the Lady Govs (3-4), Bryant was once again led by Lohr with seven kills, while senior Jocelyn Taylor (Marlborough, Mass.) chipped in six on 11 swings without committing an error. Nesterov put up 16 assists, while Magalhaes and Lohr led the way on defense with 15 and 10 digs, respectively.

Austin Peay received 10 kills from Christina White, while Aubrey Marsellis contributed six to go along with 21 assists, two aces, nine digs and three blocks. Hillary Plybon put down nine points with four blocks, while Syd Litchfield's 16 digs were a match best.

The Bulldogs return home for their next contest, a Tuesday night bout with the University of New Hampshire at the Chace Athletic Center (7 p.m.).