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Photo by DSPics.com
Photo by DSPics.com
Posted: Aug 28, 2018

Bryant opens home slate Wednesday vs. UMass Lowell

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University volleyball team plays the first of 13 regular season home matches Wednesday when longtime local foe UMass Lowell visits the Chace Athletic Center.

2018 Bryant Volleyball schedule posters will be available to the first 100 fans at Wednesday's match.

The Particulars
Opponents: UMass Lowell
Match Time: Wednesday – 4 p.m.
Watch Live: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: PrestoSports

Series History vs. UMass Lowell
 The Bulldogs and River Hawks are meeting for the eighth time in UMass Lowell's six Division I seasons with Bryant holding a 4-3 advantage. All four Bulldog wins have come in Smithfield. Bryant is 29-15 all-time against its former NE-10 foe.

Last Time vs. UMass Lowell
 The River Hawks swept the Bulldogs in Lowell last Sept. 26 for one of two blemishes in a 13-2 stretch for Bryant. Kristin Kingi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) tallied eight kills and 13 digs in the three-set defeat.

Bulldog Notes and Notables

  • Bryant went 2-1 in the opening weekend at the UIC Invitational, falling to the host Flames in the opener before downing Central Michigan in five sets and sweeping Maryland Eastern Shore Saturday.
  • Senior Kirstyn Sperry (Phoenix, Ariz.) and freshman Caroline Kennedy (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) were named to the all-tournament in Chicago.
  • Sperry was named Molten/NEC Player of the Week for her all-around effort in the opening weekend, tallying 7.91 assists, 3.09 digs and 0.45 aces per set.
  • Sophomore Erika Ward (Rochester, Mich.) was selected as Molten/NEC Defensive Player of the Week with 4.27 digs per set in Chicago.
  • Kingi posted double-doubles in both Saturday wins and led the Bulldogs with 3.27 kills per set in the opening weekend.
  • Bryant was picked second in the NEC preseason poll, receiving one first-place vote.
  • The Bulldogs went 21-12 last year and 11-3 in the NEC. Bryant returns 11 players and all but one starter.
  • Bryant returns a pair of NEC first-team all-conference selections in redshirt-senior Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.) and Sperry, who was named NEC Setter of the Year in 2017.
  • Sperry is one of three seniors in Division I to record 40 or more aces in each of her first three collegiate seasons and collected five in the season's opening weekend.
  • Head Coach Theresa Garlacy enters Wednesday four wins shy of 500 for her collegiate head coaching career. Garlacy is in her 23rd year at the helm in Smithfield.
  • Bryant is 36-4 (.900) at the Chace Athletic Center since the start of the 2015 season.

A Bit About UMass Lowell
 UMass Lowell enters Wednesday at 0-3 after an opening-weekend trip to the West Coast. The River Hawks fell in three sets to Eastern Washington, Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside in Southern California.

Ariel Dulaney led the River Hawks with 2.63 kills per set in the opening weekend, in which UML was held to an .076 hitting percentage. UMass Lowell went 5-21 a year ago and 0-12 following the Sept. 26 win over Bryant. 

Up Next: Rose Hill Classic
 Bryant travels to the Bronx this weekend, as the Bulldogs play three matches at the Rose Hill Classic at Fordham. Bryant will face Charlotte and Marist Friday before squaring off with host Fordham Saturday on ESPN+.

Follow Bryant University volleyball on Twitter and Instagram to get an inside look at the program.