Bulldogs force Colonials into four sets, lose 3-1 in first-ever NEC Tournament appearance

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Drawing even after the second set, the Bryant University volleyball team falls to Robert Morris, 3-1, in the first-ever appearance in the Northeast Conference Tournament, Saturday night in Brooklyn.

After losing the first set, the Bulldogs (19-14, 10-4 NEC) came back to win the second after six lead changes and 13 tied scores. Led by redshirt-freshman Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.), with seven kills in the set, the Black and Gold took the second, 25-23. Coming off the bench, Flynn provided the spark the Bulldogs needed to battle in the first set and to win the second.

After trailing 23-22, Bryant scored three-straight points to win the second, beginning with a service ace from freshman Kirstyn Sperry (Pheonix, Ariz.). A kill from Flynn and a block by Ally Lunsford (Minneola, Fla.) and Kristin Kingi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) led to a Colonial error, which capped off the Bryant scoring streak and solidified the, 25-23, set victory.

The Black and Gold were first on the board at the start of the contest, taking a 2-0 lead from a Kingi kill and a Colonials' error. Senior Debora Magalhaes (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) recorded 11 digs in the set to help the Bulldogs stick around in the first. Kingi laid the hammer, racking up six kills for the Bulldogs, including back-to-back kills to bring the visitors within one nearly midway through the first. Sophomore Vika Nesterov (Kfar Saba, Israel) helped set up the Bryant attack, charting four helpers and a kill, which put the Bulldogs back within two (19-17). Nesterov finished the first set with 13 of Bryant's 15 helpers.

Heading into the third it was all Robert Morris, with the Colonials scoring 15-straight points, before an attack error by the Colonials resulted in a Bryant score, with the top seed leading 19-6. Behind Kingi's five kills and Flynn's five digs, the Bulldogs clawed their way back into the set. Nesterov recorded all seven assists and a pair of digs in the third set, but the Colonial lead proved to be too much of an uphill battle and the Bulldogs fell, 25-13.

The fourth set was just as action packed as the second, including a tied score on 13 occasions and four lead changes. Flynn, again led the Bulldogs with six kills, while Kingi added five and freshman Sophie Hoekstra (Millersville, Md.) contributed three. The right side found a key kill for the Bulldogs that tied the set at 21 all. Nesterov logged double-digit assists in three of the four sets, including 12 helpers in the fourth.

The Colonials took the highest lead of the set, closing with two-straight points, which sealed their 25-22 match victory. The final point came off an Arden Fisher kill to solidify the Colonials' spot in the conference finals tomorrow.