Bryant downs Marist in four Friday night

BRONX, N.Y. – Redshirt-senior Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.) tallied 15 kills in her season debut and three Bulldogs recorded doubles-doubles as the Bryant University volleyball team picked up a four-set win over Marist in its second match of the Rose Hill Classic Friday.

Match Information
Bryant 3, Marist 1 (25-27, 25-10, 25-22, 25-23)
Records: Bryant (4-2); Marist (2-3)
Location: Rose Hill Gym (Bronx, N.Y.) 

Coach Garlacy's Comments
"This team is tremendously versatile and allowed us to try a variety of lineups today. The serve receive was very consistent and we served tough. It was great to have Julia Flynn back on the court for the first time this season. Erika Ward was scrappy on defense, crushed it with her serve and recorded a double-double. Kristin Kingi led our defense and came up with big swings in pressure situations.

"In the match against Charlotte, Mackenzie Wild was unstoppable on the right side and Julia Malet kept them out of system with her serve."

How it Happened

• Set 1 – Bryant opened the match up 7-2, but Marist pulled even at 13 and the margin was no more than two the rest of the way. The Red Foxes went ahead 24-22 before kills from Flynn, senior Kirstyn Sperry (Phoenix, Ariz.) and senior Grace Richmeyer (DeSoto, Mo.) pushed the advantage to 25-24 Bryant. Marist would take the next three points to win the set 27-25.
• Set 2 – The Bulldogs hit .368 in the frame, cruising to a 25-10 win. Freshmen Caroline Kennedy (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) and Haley O'Brien (Milton, Mass.) combined for 11 kills in the set.
• Set 3 – Kennedy opened the set with three straight kills, but after a Richmeyer solo block at 9-5, the set would be even the rest of the way. Bryant earned its final 10 points of the set on kills from its seniors – five from Flynn, three from Kristin Kingi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) and two from Sperry – to win the set 25-22.
• Set 4 – Marist led 17-15 before six straight Bryant points shifted momentum. Sperry had three kills and Richmeyer added two during the spurt, and after Marist pulled even at 23, Kingi and Kennedy closed out the win.

Stats/Notes                                                         

• Flynn recorded 15 kills and seven digs in her season debut.
• Sperry collected 44 assists – six shy of her career-high – along with 16 digs and eight kills. The senior added three aces, extending her Division I program record to 136.
• Kennedy compiled 15 kills, 14 digs and four blocks.
• Kingi notched nine kills and 19 digs.
• O'Brien posted a career-high 10 kills along with three blocks, while Richmeyer added seven kills and three blocks.
• Sophomore Erika Ward (Rochester, Mich.) added a double-double with 16 digs and 10 assists.
• Ward and Flynn each added two assists to the 10 Bryant tallied on the night.
• Bryant hit .182 in the match, while Marist recorded a .165 mark.
• The Bulldogs collected 64 kills to the Red Foxes' 39. Bryant's seniors had a combined 39 kills.
• Bryant improves to 1-4 all-time against Marist and 1-3 in the Division I era.
• Friday's win brings head coach Theresa Garlacy to 498 career victories.

Up Next
The Bulldogs close out the Rose Hill Classic Saturday at 2:30 p.m. when Bryant faces host Fordham on ESPN+.

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