Bulldogs fall in four sets to Brown Tuesday

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Redshirt-senior Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.) and senior Julia Malet (San Rafael, Calif.) recorded double-doubles, but the Bryant University volleyball team fell in four sets to Brown Tuesday night in the Bulldogs' final match before NEC play.

Match Information
Brown 3, Bryant 1 (25-22, 16-25, 25-27, 18-25)
Records: Bryant (9-7); Brown (7-3)
Location: Pizzitola Sports Center (Providence, R.I.) 

Coach Garlacy's Comments
"Kristin Kingi led us with 21 digs and Julia Malet gave us a double-double of digs and assists for the second-straight match, which is great for her. Julia Flynn led the offense and Haley O'Brien did a great job on the right side, getting a lot of touches on the block. Sydney Gorski gave us a spark off the bench in her first match in a few weeks. Tonight was a real wake-up call for what we need to improve upon going into conference play."

How it Happened

• Set 1 – The score was tied 15 times in the opening set, as neither team led by more than two until three straight Bulldog points put Bryant ahead 18-15. Brown would respond with the next three to even the set and Bryant would answer with three of its own, as the Bulldogs would hold the lead the rest of the set and close out a 25-22 win with a kill from Flynn. Junior Brianna Bruny (Biscayne Park, Fla.) and freshman Caroline Kennedy (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) would team up for blocks three times in the set.
• Set 2 – Brown jumped out to a 9-2 advantage and led the rest of the way. Bryant cut the deficit to 17-13 before five straight Bear points put the set out of reach. Brown took the set, 25-16.
• Set 3 – Brown led 24-22 before a kill from senior Kristin Kingi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), ace from senior Kirstyn Sperry (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Brown attack error put the Bulldogs up 25-24. Brown would answer with three of its own to take the set 27-25 and go ahead 2-1 in the match.
• Set 4 – Bryant cut the deficit to 18-16 before five straight Brown points gave the Bears a seven-point advantage. The Bulldogs would pull back within five on a Kennedy kill before Brown closed out the match with the next two points.

Stats/Notes

• Flynn recorded a double-double of 15 kills and 10 digs, bringing her within 68 of 1,000 for her collegiate career.
• Malet posted her second-straight double-double with 16 assists and 12 digs.
• Kingi tallied seven kills and matched her career-high with 21 digs.
• Freshman Haley O'Brien (Milton, Mass.) tied her career-high with 10 kills.
• Sophomore Erika Ward (Rochester, Mich.) notched 17 digs.
• Junior Sydney Gorski (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) recorded six kills over the final two sets in her first match since Aug. 31.
• Bryant drops to 7-16 all-time against Brown and 3-5 in the Division I era.
• The defeat snaps a three-match winning streak against in-state opponents.

Up Next
Bryant opens NEC play Friday night when the Bulldogs host Saint Francis U at 6 p.m. to open Homecoming @ Reunion Weekend.

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