Bryant downs Stony Brook, Brown to cap off undefeated weekend at Hampton Inn-vitational

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After a four-set win over Stony Brook to begin the day, the Bryant volleyball team battled back from two sets down to beat Brown in five to close out an undefeated weekend at the 2017 Hampton Inn-vitational at the Chace Athletic Center.

Match Information
Bryant 3, Stony Brook 1 (25-19, 25-16, 25-27, 25-20)
Bryant 3, Brown 2 (21-25, 23-25, 25-17, 25-13, 15-12)

Records: Bryant 5-6, Stony Brook 5-6, Brown 4-2
Location: Chace Athletic Center

Coach Garlacy's Comments
"It was a total team effort in this match. Cassie Sulmeisters stepped in and stepped up. The middles again were dangerous and Ally Lunsford came up with huge plays when we needed them the most."

How it Happened vs. Stony Brook

• Set 1 – In the first set, Bryant was up 18-17 and Stony Brook was charging towards a tie, but the Bulldogs remained calm, winning seven of the final nine points to take the first set and start the path to a four-set victory.
• Set 2 – Freshman Erika Ward (Rochester, Mich.) recorded a pair of aces in the set and the Bulldogs were able to hold off a late-charging Stony Brook squad to take a two-set lead.
• Set 3 – Stony Brook was able to stay in the match by taking five of the last six points, aided by three Bulldogs errors and a service ace to keep the Seawolves in it.
• Set 4 – After Stony Brook pulled ahead 15-14, the Bulldogs were able to take six of the next seven points to seize control of what would be the final set of the match.

How it Happened vs. Brown

• Set 1 – After a back-and-forth start to the first set, the Bulldogs were up 17-13 before the Bears took the next four points to tie the frame and then finished on an 8-1 run.
• Set 2 – In what turned into another close set, Brown finished the second on a 6-1 run to take a two sets to none lead.
• Set 3 – After Brown took the first two sets, the Bulldogs and Bears split the first 12 points in the third set, but Bryant was able to seize momentum by winning five straight and keeping that distance en route to winning the third set.
• Set 4 – Bryant was up 13-9 in the fourth set, but pulled away, taking 12 of the final 16 rallies and evening the match at two apiece.
• Set 5 – Bryant jumped out early, nabbing eight of the first 12 points, as the Bulldogs stayed in front the rest of the way to finish off the comeback.

 Stats/Notes                                                         

• The Bulldogs swept their Hampton Inn-vitational matches for the second time in three years.
• Bryant finished with four players with double figures in the kill column in the first match, led by 12 kills from senior Ally Lunsford (Minneola, Fla.)
• Lunsford followed her performance against the Seawolves with a match-high 14 kills vs. the Bears.
• Junior Kirstyn Sperry (Phoenix, Ariz.) did a little bit of everything in the final match, recording 32 assists, 14 digs, 9 kills, 2 service aces and 2 blocks.
• Sperry and junior Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.) both recorded double-doubles in the first match vs. Stony Brook.
• Dating back to last season, the Bulldogs have now won 10 straight matches at the Chace Athletic Center and are 28-3 in Smithfield since the start of the 2015 season.

All-Tournament Team
Ally Lunsford, Bryant (MVP)
Kirstyn Sperry, Bryant
McKyla Brooks, Stony Brook
Kiani Kerstetter, Stony Brook
Sabrina Stillwell, Brown
Alyssa Rehrer, Manhattan
Erika Ward, Bryant (Libero)

Up Next
Bryant completes its four-match homestand on Tuesday night when the Bulldogs take on Holy Cross at 7 p.m.