Bryant keeps rolling with sweep of FDU

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University volleyball team hit .350 and held Fairleigh Dickinson to 13 total kills in a sweep of the Knights Friday night at the Chace Athletic Center.

Junior Alisi Motu'apuaka (Virginia Beach, Va.) and freshman Mia Cergol (East Northport, N.Y.) teamed up for 40 assists in the three-set win to help Bryant improve to 8-2 in the NEC.

Match Information
Bryant 3, Fairleigh Dickinson 0 (25-14, 25-7, 25-16)
Records: Bryant (13-13, 8-2), Fairleigh Dickinson (2-21, 1-8)
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.) 

Coach Garlacy's Comments
"Our middles were outstanding tonight – in rhythm and aggressive. The leadership of Alisi both on the court and even more so off the court is one of the greatest reasons we ran like a well-oiled machine tonight. Jenna stepped up on the right side on both sides of the ball. We continue to win the serve pass game which puts us in good position to succeed." 

How it Happened

• Set 1 – Kills from sophomore Jenna Knight (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and freshman Riley James (Pocasset, Mass.) put Bryant ahead 9-4 in the opening set and the Bulldogs would lead by at least three with the margin ballooning to 11 at 21-10. A block from Knight and sophomore Haley O'Brien (Milton, Mass.) on set point closed out a 25-14 first.
• Set 2 – Bryant opened the set with six straight points and closed it on a 17-4 run to go ahead 2-0. James and freshman Alysa Wright (Wayne, Pa.) combined for kills on the final five points of a 25-7 set.
• Set 3 – FDU scored the first two points of the set before Bryant responded with the next eight. James contributed from the service line with a pair of aces and Wright added two kills in the stretch. A 7-0 run that included three kills and a block from Knight created separation in a 25-16 third to win the match.

Stats/Notes

• Five Bulldogs ranged between seven and nine kills with James, Knight and Wright chipping in nine each.
• Junior Erika Ward (Rochester, Mich.) recorded 18 digs to improve to 1,311 for her career, 64 back of Kristin Kingi for Bryant's Division I program record.
• Motu'apuaka collected 21 assists, while Cergol recorded 19.
• Five different Bulldogs recorded an ace in the win with two each from James and Motu'apuaka.
• O'Brien was in on six blocks on the night while Knight had four.
• Bryant earned 45 of its 75 points via kills, eight via blocks and seven from aces to collect 80 percent of its points from the home side of the net.
• The Bulldogs have recorded 2.20 blocks per set in the month of October.
• Bryant improves to 19-8 all-time against Fairleigh Dickinson and 19-6 in the Bulldogs' Division I era.
• The Bulldogs are 8-2 through 10 NEC matches for the second consecutive season.

Up Next
Bryant plays its final Saturday home match of the regular season when the Bulldogs host St. Francis Brooklyn at 5 p.m. on Bulldogs vs. Breast Cancer night. Tickets for Saturday's match are available HERE. 

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