Bulldogs sweep Hartford, 3-0, Tuesday night at home

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Freshman Kristin Kingi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) and Sophie Hoekstra (Millersville, Md.) each posted a match-high 10 kills Tuesday night as the Bryant University volleyball team swept the University of Hartford, 3-0, at the Chace Athletic Center.

The Bulldogs (7-5) made quick work of the Hawks (0-11), winning two sets by 10 points or more.

Bryant led throughout the opening stanza, hitting an impressive .500 while getting six kills from Kingi and four blocks from sophomore middle blocker Ally Lunsford (Minneola, Fla.) en route to a 25-15 victory and 1-0 match advantage. Lunsford would finish the night with a match-leading six stuffs.

The second set saw a more back-and-forth affair, with neither team leading by more than four points throughout the frame. A 10-7 Bulldog lead turned into a 14-14 tie after three-straight Paulina Modestow serves, and Hartford would take its first edge at 15-14 with an Alyse Wenzel kill. But the Bulldogs surged from there, scoring seven of the next nine points for a 21-17 advantage. And while the Hawks would threaten once again, they would never re-take the lead in the 25-22 Bryant victory.

The third set featured the collegiate debut of freshman setter Julia Malet (San Rafael, Calif.), who served up back-to-back aces and gave the hosts an 8-5 lead early in the frame. After breaking an 8-8 tie, the Black and Gold would go on a run all the way to 21-11 following two more aces, this time from Erica Vendituoli (Nashua, N.H.). Bryant would cruise from there for the 25-14 win and 3-0 match victory. Lunsford would also have consecutive aces in the frame.

On the day, Vendituoli served up four aces, adding six digs in two sets. Seven different Bulldogs would pick up at least one ace, while six would record at least one block. Frosh Margot Ruffieux (Cary, N.C.) added six kills with five digs on the night, while sophomore setter Vika Nesterov (Kfar Saba, Israel) handed out a contest-high 20 assists. Senior libero Debora Magalhaes (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) posted a match-leading 16 digs.

Modestow paced the Hawks with six kills and seven digs on the contest, while Katy Henchy added five more kills. Wenzel and Kathryn Gawrych each chipped in four blocks, while Astrid Mangual recorded 16 assists.

The Bulldogs return to action and look to keep their winning streak alive when they travel to the College of Charleston for their final tournament of the 2015 season. C of C Invitational action opens with Bryant taking on the University of Minnesota Friday at 4:30 p.m.