Bryant moves to 2-0 in NEC with five-set win over RMU

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Redshirt-senior Julia Flynn (Pembroke, Mass.) and senior Kristin Kingi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) both posted double-digit kills and dig totals in the 20s to help lead the Bryant University volleyball team to a five-set win over Robert Morris Saturday at the Chace Athletic Center to improve to 2-0 in NEC play.

Flynn tallied 11 kills, 22 digs and three blocks, while Kingi added 10 kills and 24 digs. Senior Grace Richmeyer (DeSoto, Mo.) chipped in 11 kills and six blocks.

Match Information
Bryant 3, Robert Morris 2 (18-25, 25-16, 20-25, 25-18, 15-12)
Records: Bryant (11-7, 2-0); Robert Morris (6-10, 0-2)
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.) 

Coach Garlacy's Comments
"We have the confidence to be able to beat anybody on any night, but we have to come ready to play. This was an emotion-packed weekend for us, and at the beginning of the match it got the better of us, but our senior leadership helped changed the course. It wasn't always pretty for us, but they played with the heart and desire of the champions that they are and they got the job done."

"Julia Flynn going hard for that kill on match point, Julia Malet and Kirstyn Sperry with their serves – they just bring it day-in and day-out and they just want so much for this team. I couldn't have asked for a better senior class of leaders."

How it Happened

• Set 1 – A kill from freshman Haley O'Brien (Milton, Mass.) cut the Colonial advantage to 10-8, but RMU responded with a 7-1 run to open up a 17-9 lead. Bryant would score the next five with two kills and a block from Richmeyer, but it was the closest they would get in a 25-18 RMU first-set win.
• Set 2 – With the set tied 8-8, kills from Flynn, Richmeyer and Kingi, all assisted by senior Julia Malet (San Rafael, Calif.), put the Bulldogs ahead 11-8. Malet would run off three straight aces to put Bryant ahead 22-15 in a 25-16 second-set win to even the match.
• Set 3 – Kills from Flynn, Kingi and Richmeyer pulled the Bulldogs to within 17-14 after the Colonials opened up a six-point lead, but it was the closest Bryant would come to erasing the deficit as Robert Morris took the third, 25-20.
• Set 4 – An 8-1 run opened up a 23-14 advantage for Bryant, as the Bulldogs forced a fifth set with a 25-18 fourth. The Black and Gold were aided by 10 Robert Morris attack errors in the set.
• Set 5 – Robert Morris led 11-10 in the fifth set before four straight Bryant points, including kills from Kingi, Flynn and freshman Caroline Kennedy (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) gave the Bulldogs match point at 14-11. The Colonials would get one back before Flynn finished off the five-set win with a kill.

Stats/Notes                                                         

• Flynn recorded 11 kills, 22 digs and three blocks, moving her to within 46 of 1,000 for her collegiate career.
• Kingi tallied 10 kills along with a career-high 24 digs, surpassing the mark of 21 set Sept. 14 vs. Delaware and matched Tuesday at Brown.
• Richmeyer notched 11 kills and six blocks, while Kennedy was in double figures as well with 13 kills.
• Sperry recorded 26 assists, 11 digs and two aces, becoming the first player in Bryant's Division I era to collect 150 career aces.
• Malet chipped in with 22 assists, eight digs and a career-high four aces.
• Bryant collected 10 blocks in the match.
• The Bulldogs hit .156 in the match, while the Colonials hit .116.
• Bryant betters its record to 9-12 all-time against Robert Morris.
• The Bulldogs improve to 42-5 (.894) at the Chace Athletic Center since the start of the 2015 season.
• Bryant moves to 4-4 in five-set matches this season.
• The Bryant volleyball and football teams both picked up victories on the Saturday of Homecoming & Reunion Weekend for the fourth-straight season.

Up Next
Bryant is back in action Tuesday for its penultimate non-conference match with a 6 p.m. contest at Hartford.

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