Sperry, Ward earn Molten/NEC weekly honors

SOMERSET, N.J. – Bryant University volleyball senior Kirstyn Sperry (Phoenix, Ariz.) and sophomore Erika Ward (Rochester, Mich.) were honored with weekly awards by the Northeast Conference for their performances in the opening weekend of the season, as announced Monday by the NEC office.

Sperry garnered Molten/NEC Player of the Week honors for her all-around efforts in the Bulldogs' 2-1 weekend at the UIC Invitational. The senior captain racked up 7.91 assists, 3.09 digs and 0.45 aces per set on her way to all-tournament team honors. Sperry added seven kills in the sweep of Maryland Eastern Shore Saturday night while hitting .455 (7-2-11) in the match and had a double-double in all three matches, giving her 45 for her career.

Ward was tabbed as Molten/NEC Defensive Player of the Week for her work in the back row in Chicago. The sophomore libero collected 4.27 digs per set and totaled 21 in the five-set win over Central Michigan Saturday. Ward opened the weekend with 16 digs in a three-set match against UIC Friday.

Bryant returns to action Wednesday when the Bulldogs host UMass Lowell in the home opener at the Chace Athletic Center. First serve is slated for 4 p.m. and the match can be seen on NEC Front Row.

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