Trio of double-doubles pace Bryant to five-set victory

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Behind a trio of double-double efforts, including a career-high 20 kills from rookie Natascha Scarff (Geneva, Switzerland), the Bryant University volleyball team went on the road to get a 3-2 win over Holy Cross in the final non-league outing of the 2014 season.

Scarff added 12 digs to her career-best and match-high offensive outing while redshirt-frosh Vika Nesterov (Kfar Saba, Israel) fell one assist shy of her career high with 52 helpers and 16 digs. But it was senior Elena Lohr (Loveland, Ohio) who put forth perhaps the night's top effort, slamming home 12 kills with 24 digs while serving up an impressive seven aces for the Bulldogs (9-19) in her return from injury.

Sophomore Sara DePouw (Oconto, Wis.) played a big part in the Bulldog win as well, contributing 12 kills with a .281 attack percentage and three blocks, while junior libero Debora Magalhaes (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) picked up 24 digs.

Katie McKernan led the host Crusaders (6-16) with a rare triple-double despite the loss, registering 11 kills with 34 assists and 21 digs. Mandy Sifferlen posted a double-double with 13 kills and 12 digs, while Emily Popp paced the tilt defensively with 29 digs.

The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead with a 25-18 win in the opening set, an advantage Holy Cross equalized in the second, 25-21. Bryant took back the edge, 25-17, in the third, but the home side forced a decisive fifth set with a 25-22 win in the fourth.

But in the fifth, the Black and Gold never trailed, opening the set with a Nesterov ace before working their way up to a 10-4 advantage on a block by DePouw and junior Taylor Onoyan (Crystal Lake, Ill.). Holy Cross closed its deficit to 13-10 on back-to-back kills from McKernan and Alicia Swearington, but the Bulldogs earned the final two points with consecutive kills of their own for the five-set victory.

On the evening, the Bulldogs outkilled their opponents, 63-50, with a .175 team attack percentage. Bryant registered 98 digs to the Crusaders' 94 but was outblocked on the night.

The Bulldogs return to Northeast Conference play to close out the 2014 regular season and will next travel to western Pennsylvania for matchups against Saint Francis U. (Saturday, 3 p.m.) and Robert Morris (Sunday, 12 p.m.).