Bulldogs sweep Art Carmichael Invitational

KINGSTON, RI- The Bryant women's volleyball team took down Quinnipiac and host Rhode Island to win the Art Carmichael Invitational. They swept Quinnipiac 3-0 and beat URI 3-1.

Match 1

Bryant 3, Quinnipiac 0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-18)

Records: Bryant (2-0) | Quinnipiac (1-2)

Location: Keaney Gymnasium (Kingston, R.I)

How it happened:

Set 1: The Bulldogs controlled the match early on, taking advantage of mistakes by Quinnipiac. Bryant held the Bobcats to a .069 attack%  and just six total kills in the opening set, while also recording ten total blocks in the period. Riley James was on fire from the serving stripe, notching five aces. Caroline Kennedy had five of her match high twelve kills in the first, and Alysa Wright pitched in four four kills and four block assists.

Set 2: Despite a lot of kills and fewer errors for Bryant to start the second set, Quinnipiac stayed close thanks to their best hitting set of the match. The Bulldogs were able to prevail however, thanks to 20 kills and a .410 attack %. James and Kennedy led the way with six and five kills respectively. 

Set 3: Bryant used mulitple scoring runs to stay ahead of Quinnipiac for the entire third set. The Bulldogs used a balanced attack to their advantage, as seven different players contributed at least one kill and one dig. Four Bulldogs had multiple kills in the final set, and three had multiple digs.

Notes and Notables:

• Bryant dominated the hitting game, finishing with a 46-27 advantage in kills and a .276/.153 advantage in attack percentage.

• Riley James paced the match and set a career high with seven service aces. She also contributed seven kills and eleven digs.

• Alysa Wright and Caroline Kennedy had very efficient hitting days, with .667 and .550 percentages respectively. 

• Kennedy led the match with twelve kills, and Wright finished with seven kills and five block assists.

• Emma McGovern had a solid all-around game, with seven kills, seven digs, and five block assists.

• The Bulldogs had advantages over Quinnipiac in all facets of the game, with a Bryant player leading every statistical category aside from total attacks.

Match 2

Bryant 3, Rhode Island 1 (14-25, 25-13, 25-14, 25-22)

Records: Bryant (3-0) | Rhode Island (2-1)

Location: Keaney Gymnasium (Kingston, R.I.)

Coach Garlacy's Comments

"This was our first win over URI as a Division I school, so it was definitely a big one. We had a balanced attack, our blockers did a great job of limiting their offense, and our aggressive serves helped keep them out of rhythm. Our setters did a great job of spreading the floor and maintaining a good tempo throughout the match. Abby Rae also did a great job in her first weekend as libero. She covered the court really well and maintained her composure."

How it happened:

Set 1: URI went on a 6-0 run early in the first set, capitalizing on three Bryant errors. Caroline Kennedy and Mia Cergol paced the offense with four kills and six assists respectively. 

Set 2: The Bulldogs rebounded well in the second set, dominating the hitting game with a 14-5 kill advantage and four fewer errors. Emma McGovern had four kills in the set and Maggie Ryan notched her first two kills of the season for Bryant.

Set 3: Bryant continued to improve their hitting in the third set to the tune of 14 kills and a .364 hitting percentage. The defense also held URI to a second consecutive set with a sub-.100 percentage. Emma McGovern had another solid set with six kills.

Set 4: Bryant clinched the victory with a closely contested fourth set. The Bulldogs were able to withstand a late Rams rally to prevail 25-22, their narrowest margin of victory in a set for the weekend. Alysa Wright was the star of the closing period, with seven kills and three block assists.

Notes and Notables: 

• Alysa Wright finished the match with 12 kills, six block assists, and a .611 attack percentage. She was named tournament MVP.

• Caroline Kennedy and Mia Cergol were also named to the all-tournament team. Kennedy had nine kills and three block assists in the final match, while Cergol recorded 22 assists, nine digs, and a kill.

• Emma McGovern led the match with 14 kills and also posted 9 digs and a pair of assists

• Maggie Ryan saw her first game action of the season and posted five kills, an assist, two digs, and two block assists.