Bryant battles Providence Tuesday at the Chace
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University volleyball team closes out a four-match stretch at the Chace Athletic Center with an in-state battle Tuesday night against Providence.
The Particulars
Opponent: Providence
Match Time: Tuesday – 7 p.m.
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)
Tickets: Click HERE
Watch: NEC Front Row (Drew Celli)
Live Stats: Presto Sports
All-Time Series: Providence leads, 16-9 (Bryant leads D1 series, 8-6)
LAST TIME OUT: HAMPTON INN-VITATIONAL
The Bulldogs went 2-1 on the weekend with sweeps of North Dakota and Marist and a three-set loss to Villanova. Redshirt-junior Sydney Gorski (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) and freshman Emma McGovern (Long Beach, N.Y.) were named to the all-tournament team at Bryant's annual home tournament.
ABOUT THE FRIARS
Providence is 3-3 on the year after a 1-2 weekend at Morehead State, sweeping Presbyterian and losing to Georgia State and Morehead State.
The Friars' other two victories are sweeps of George Mason and new NEC member Merrimack. Providence's season-opening trip to Puerto Rico was canceled due to Hurricane Dorian.
THRICE WOULD BE NICE
Bryant is looking for the first three-match winning streak for either team in the Division I series with Providence. The Bulldogs won at Alumni Hall for the first time last September.
ACE OF CHACE
Bryant recorded 24 service aces in nine sets at the Hampton Inn-vitational over the weekend, good for an average of 2.67 aces/set. Freshman Riley James (Pocasset, Mass.) recorded six in Saturday's sweep of Marist, while junior Erika Ward (Rochester, Mich.) tallied four on consecutive points in Friday's sweep of North Dakota.
STRONG (ISLAND) START
Bryant's freshman duo from Long Island has made an immediate impact, as McGovern ranks second on the Bulldogs in kills and digs per set through her first seven matches in Black & Gold, while Mia Cergol (East Northport, N.Y.) leads Bryant in assists per set.
McGovern was named Molten/NEC Rookie of the Week for her efforts in the first week of 2019, becoming the third Bulldog in the last three seasons to earn a conference rookie of the week honor (Caroline Kennedy, Erika Ward.)
BIG DIG
Junior Erika Ward (Rochester, Mich.) is the first player in Bryant's program history to collect 1,000 digs by the end of her sophomore season. Ward reached the mark with a 32-dig performance in last year's NEC Semifinal. The libero from Michigan enters Tuesday with 1,092 career digs, 283 back of Kristin Kingi's Division I career record set last season.
16x4
Bryant is the only Division I volleyball program in New England to win 16 or more matches in each of the last four seasons. The Bulldogs have won at least 19 in all four campaigns with a D1 program-record 22 in 2018.
518 AND COUNTING
Head coach Theresa Garlacy picked up her 500th career victory in last September's win over Coppin State, 22 years to the day of her first victory over Saint Michael's in 1996. Garlacy has won 518 matches in her collegiate head coaching career - all at Bryant – entering Tuesday.
UP NEXT: BLACK KNIGHTS INVITATIONAL
Bryant will travel to West Point for three matches this weekend. The Bulldogs face Kent State Friday before squaring off with Binghamton and Army West Point Saturday.
The Bulldogs return home next Tuesday to face Brown. Tickets are available by clicking HERE.
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