Bulldogs fall to Pioneer comeback, drop 3-2 heartbreaker Sunday afternoon

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Freshman Kristin Kingi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) led the Bulldogs and the match with 15 kills, but the Bryant University volleyball team couldn't hold onto an early 2-0 lead, falling to league foe Sacred Heart, 3-2, Sunday.

The Bulldogs (11-10, 3-1 Northeast Conference) took the opening sets, 25-23 and 25-17, but saw the Pioneers (9-6, 3-0) come charging back in the third, defeating the Black and Gold, 25-11, to close the deficit to one. Sacred Heart would maintain that momentum, 25-18, to force a deciding fifth frame, which saw the hosts come out on top, 15-12, for the 3-2 comeback victory.

Kingi added seven digs to her match-high day on offense, while senior Taylor Onoyan (Crystal Lake, Ill.) added nine kills and a .389 attack percentage. Rookies Sophie Hoekstra (Millersville, Md.) and Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.) contributed seven and six kills, respectively, while sophomore Ally Lunsford (Minneola, Fla.) led the contest at the net with five blocks (1 solo) while serving up three aces.

Sophomore setter Vika Nesterov (Kfar Saba, Israel) dished out 25 assists with five kills, while rookie counterpart Kirstyn Sperry (Phoenix, Ariz.) chipped in 17 helpers. Senior libero Debora Magalhaes (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) was the only Bulldog to recorded double-digit digs, pacing the match with 21.

Sarah Krufka, Bruna Bon and Karly Shockey all paced the Sacred Heart attack with double-figure kills, with Krufka's 14 leading the way. Bon (3 aces) added 13 kills with 10 digs for one of two Pioneer double-doubles, with Shockey contributing 11 kills. Kiki Robinson collected the other double-double effort with 26 assists and a team-high 11 digs.

Ana Gonzalez served up four aces (7 digs) to lead the contest, while Krufka and Maddie Losure led the home team on the block with four apiece.

The Bulldogs return home for their next four matches, next hosting Central Connecticut Saturday, Oct. 10 at 1:00 p.m. at the Chace Athletic Center.