Volleyball Splits Day 2 of Tournament

SMITHFIELD, R.I.- The Bryant women's volleyball team split their two matches on Saturday at the Bryant Invitational. They defeated Holy Cross 3-1 and fell to Boston College 3-1. The Bulldogs went 1-2 at their home tournament.

Match 1

Bryant 3, Holy Cross 1 (25-17, 25-10, 21-25, 25-13)

Records: Bryant (4-1), Holy Cross (1-5)

Location: Chace Center

Coach Garlacy's Comments:

"We served tough and kept Holy Cross out of rhythm. The setters ran a quick tempo and a balanced offense. The support of our bench and families provided the positive energy needed for the win."

How it Happened: 

Set 1: The two teams traded points early in the set, but Bryant used a 5-0 run to pull away for good. Haley O'Brien led the offensive for Bryant, posting four kills on five attempts. Bryant also posted three service aces in the set.

Set 2: Bryant kept the lead for the entirety of the second set, including a 15-4 run to finish the period. The Bulldogs continued to hit the ball well, posting 14 kills on a .444 attack percentage. O'Brien and Riley James posted four kills each in the set.

Set 3: The third set was the closest one of the match, with 14 ties and six lead changes. Caroline Kennedy had four kills in the set for the Bulldogs, and Emma McGovern had three kills, two digs, and an assist.

Set 4: Bryant rebounded from the Set 3 loss with a 5-0 run to start the fourth. The Bulldogs posted 12 kills on a .476 attack percentage, as well as six service aces. McGovern had four aces and three kills in the set.

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• The Bulldogs posted 14 service aces in the match, their most in a match this season. Mia Cergol and Emma McGovern had four each and Abby Rae had two.

• Nine different players recorded kills for Bryant. Riley James led the way with 11.

• Alysa Wright led the match with five total blocks. She also contributed eight kills, an assist, and a dig.

• Haley O'Brien had nine kills on eleven attempts, good for an .818 attack percentage. 

• Five Bulldogs saw their first game action of the season in the match. Claudia Borri served an ace on her first play. Morgan Smith had a solo block in her first rally and also had a kill. Gianna Grigaliunas also had an ace on her first serve. Jenna Knight posted her first kill, and Miranda Jantzen also got court time in the final set.

Match 2

Boston College 3, Bryant 1 (26-24, 19-25, 25-16, 25-21)

Records: Bryant (4-2), Boston College (6-0)

Location: Chace Center

Coach Garlacy's Comments:

"Competing against Boston College and their fast offense was a great preparation for us for conference play. Our blockers responded well and our defense allowed us to run a fast tempo. Our serving was also tough and kept them out of system."

How it Happened: 

Set 1: Bryant got off to a hot start, leading 7-1 before BC took a timeout. The Eagles took momentum afterward, eventually evening the match. The rest of the set was evenly balanced as it went to an extra point, 26-24. The Bulldogs edged Boston College in kills, 18-15, with Emma McGovern posting a set high five.

Set 2: Bryant once again stormed out of the gates, going up 5-1 and forcing a BC timeout. They were able to hold the lead this time, and went on to win with a six point advantage. Both hitting and blocking were on point for the Bulldogs, who posted 18 kills on a .500 attack percentage as well as four total blocks.

Set 3: Boston College took control of the third set early and kept the lead for the duration of the period. Bryant was able to stay within reach thanks to four kills from Alysa Wright and a pair of aces from Abby Rae.

Set 4: The final set was back and forth from the opening rally. Bryant gained momentum thanks to four blocks from the combination of Alysa Wright and Riley James, including three in a row. Mia Cergol had six assists in the fourth set and Abby Rae anchored the defense with 12 digs.

Bulldog Notes and Notables:

• Emma McGovern led the hitting with 15 kills and a .406 attack percentage. She also had seven digs in the match.

• Alysa Wright led the Bulldogs with eight blocks, and was second on the team with 13 kills. 

• Riley James posted 12 kills, eight digs, and six blocks in the match.

• Bryant posted season highs of 57 kills, 50 assists, and ten total blocks in the match.

• Riley James was named to the all-tournament team, along with Cierra Jenkins (Brown), Gracyn Benck (Holy Cross), Katrina Jensen (Boston College), and tournament MVP Clare Naughton (BC).