Bryant begins NEC play with sweep of St. Francis Brooklyn

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University volleyball team opened Northeast Conference play with a victory Friday, as the Bulldogs swept St. Francis Brooklyn in front of a raucous crowd at the Chace Athletic Center.  

Match Information
Bryant 3, St. Francis Brooklyn 0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-19)
Records: Bryant (10-7, 1-0 NEC); St. Francis Brooklyn (6-10, 0-1 NEC)
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)

Coach Garlacy's Comments
"We showed great balance tonight and hit .320 as a team. Our passing was spot-on and we served tough. We appreciate the support from the other Bulldog student-athletes!" 

How it Happened

• Set 1 – Bryant had the upper hand throughout most of the set, but the Terriers cut the lead to one at 18-17 and 21-20. The Bulldogs would close with the final four points of the set, including an ace from freshman Erika Ward (Rochester, Mich.) and a kill by junior Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.), to take the 1-0 lead.
• Set 2 – The Bulldogs opened the set up 4-0 and never led by less than three the rest of the way. Bryant hit .346 in the set.
• Set 3 – St. Francis Brooklyn led 15-13 before a 5-0 Bryant run gave the Bulldogs the advantage. Junior Grace Richmeyer (DeSoto, Mo.) had a pair of kills during the stretch. The Terriers would cut it to 18-17 before the Bulldogs took seven of the final nine points to take the set and match.

Stats/Notes                                                         

• The Bulldogs hit .320 in the match – their second-best clip of the season behind a .337 mark in the Sept. 8 win over Manhattan.
• Richmeyer had a team-high nine kills on a .533 hitting percentage and added six blocks.
• Senior Ally Lunsford (Minneola, Fla.) collected seven kills and five blocks, while senior Kiley Robbins (Garland, Texas), junior Kirstyn Sperry (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Flynn each had six. Sperry added 17 assists and 10 digs.
• Ward tallied eight digs and two aces, while junior Julia Malet (San Rafael, Calif.) notched 10 assists and seven digs.
• Dating back to last season, the Bulldogs have now won 13 straight matches at the Chace Athletic Center and are 31-3 since the start of 2015.
• Bryant has won 21 of 25 sets played at home this season and has swept four of its seven opponents, including each of its last three.
• The Bulldogs opened NEC play with a win for the third-straight year.
• Bryant is 8-1 since Sept. 8.

Up Next
Bryant is back in action Saturday when the Bulldogs host LIU Brooklyn at 5 p.m. at the Chace Athletic Center. Tickets for Saturday's Homecoming football game vs. Fordham (1 p.m.) are good for admission to the volleyball match.