Rookies headline Bulldog sweep at Marist Tournament Saturday
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bucknell (5-2) | 23 | 23 | 21 | 0 |
|
Bryant (5-5) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bryant (6-5) | 20 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
|
La Salle (4-7) | 25 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 1 |
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – A trio of freshmen paced the Bryant University volleyball team to a Saturday sweep at the Marist Tournament, as the Bulldogs topped Bucknell, 3-0, and La Salle, 3-1.
In the opener against the Bison (5-2), the Bulldogs (6-5) were led by rookies Kristin Kingi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) and Sophie Hoekstra (Millersville, Md.), who dished out 14 and 12 kills, respectively, both hitting better than .340 on the match. Kingi and sophomore setter Vika Nesterov (Kfar Saba, Israel) paced Bryant defensively with eight digs apiece, with the latter dishing out 24 assists.
Karen Campbell led the match with 17 kills for Bucknell, while Meghan Wentzel and Hana Sawanobori paced the contest with 27 assists and 13 digs, respectively.
Despite an even matchup, the Bulldogs managed a three-set sweep over the Bison, winning 25-23, 25-23 and 25-21 for the first of two wins on the day.
In the nightcap, Hoekstra was once again stellar, pacing the match with 16 kills and a .419 attack percentage for the Black and Gold. Classmate Margot Ruffieux (Cary, N.C.) also finished in double figures with 10 kills, contributing 14 digs and a trio of aces for the first double-double of her career.
Nesterov added 30 assists with nine digs and eight kills, while senior libero Debora Magalhaes (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) registered 25 digs. Kingi finished the contest with seven kills and 10 digs.
The Explorers (4-7) took a 1-0 lead over the Bulldogs with a 25-20 set-one win, but Bryant would come back to take the next three straight, needing extra time, 26-24, to tie the match at 1-1 before taking the next two frames, 25-20 and 25-17.
Laura Kuhlmeier led La Salle with 12 kills while Ashley Felton added 10 more. Taylor Hite served up four aces with 18 digs, while Jensen Sharrits paced the squad on defense with 34 digs.
Kingi and Hoekstra were both named to the Volley in the Valley All-Tournament Team for their efforts.
The Bulldogs return to Smithfield to host their next contest, a Tuesday night matchup against the University of Hartford at the Chace Athletic Center. Tuesday's game can be seen live on NECFrontRow.com.