Bryant outlasted by Charlotte in five sets Friday

BRONX, N.Y. – Freshman Caroline Kennedy (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) and sophomore Mackenzie Wild (Rochester, Mich.) posted career-best performances, but the Bryant University volleyball team was outlasted by Charlotte in five sets Friday afternoon to begin the Rose Hill Classic.

Match Information
Charlotte 3, Bryant 2 (18-25, 25-21, 24-26, 25-21, 9-15)
Records: Bryant (3-2); Charlotte (3-3)
Location: Rose Hill Gym (Bronx, N.Y.) 

How it Happened

• Set 1 – Bryant opened the match up 12-7 in the first set before a 9-0 Charlotte run gave the 49ers the upper hand in a 25-18 first set. Kennedy tallied six kills in the opening set.
• Set 2 – Wild tallied seven kills in the set as Bryant used a 7-1 run to go from down 10-9 to up 16-11 and lead the rest of the set in a 25-21 win.
• Set 3 – Bryant led by as many as five in the set, but Charlotte was able to come back and take the final three points of a 26-24 set.
• Set 4 – Bryant staved off defeat with seven kills in the set from Kennedy, winning the frame 25-21 and forcing a deciding fifth set.
• Set 5 – The Bulldogs led 8-4 as the teams switched sides, but the 49ers ran off the next nine points to turn the tables and closed out a 15-9 win to take the match.

Stats/Notes                                                         

• Kennedy led the Bulldogs with a career-high 20 kills while adding 10 digs for her second career double-double.
• Wild tallied 10 kills on a .333 hitting percentage, collecting the first nine before her first attack error of the match. The sophomore added two blocks.
• Senior Kirstyn Sperry (Phoenix, Ariz.) tallied 32 assists and 21 digs for her fifth double-double in as many matches to open the year and 47^th of her career. Sperry recorded two aces, extending her Division I program record to 133.
• Senior Kristin Kingi (Phoenix, Ariz.) posted 15 kills and 19 digs, while sophomore Erika Ward (Rochester, Mich.) recorded 19 digs.
• Senior Julia Malet (San Rafael, Calif.) collected 17 assists in her season debut.
• Kennedy, Malet, Sperry and Ward each had two aces.
• Bryant hit .168 in the match, while Charlotte recorded a .269 mark.
• The Bulldogs drop to 0-1 all-time against Charlotte.

Up Next
Bryant is back in action at 5 p.m. against Marist in the second of three matches this weekend at the Rose Hill Classic.

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