Volleyball Splits Day 1 of NU Tournament

BOSTON, MASS.- The Bryant women's volleyball team split their first two matches of the Northeastern tournament. They defeated Harvard, 3-0, and fell to the host Huskies, 3-0.

Match 1

Bryant 3, Harvard 0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-23)

Records: Bryant (5-3, 0-0 NEC), Harvard (1-3, 0-0 Ivy)

Location: Cabot Center, Boston, Mass.

Coach Garlacy's Comments

"We were extremely efficient on offense today with Caroline, Riley, and Alysa leading the way. We served tough and kept them out of system, which really made our defense click."

How it happened:

Set 1: Bryant led throughout the set, but had to deal with a late comeback from the Crimson. The Bulldogs used a 7-1 run to put it away, winning by five. The defense was on point, holding Harvard to a .152 attack percentage. Emma McGovern and Mia Cergol led the offense with four kills and ten assists respectively.

Set 2: The Bulldogs once again controlled the set from the beginning. The defense continued its strong play, holding Harvard to a match low .062 attack percentage. Caroline Kennedy led the set with five kills, while Cergol added ten more assists, including the 1000th of her career.

Set 3: Harvard's offense improved in the third, allowing them to take an early lead. Bryant was able to mount a comeback of their own, going on an 8-2 run to close the set and the match. The Bulldogs had 17 kills in the set, with Kennedy leading the way with five. 

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Mia Cergol became the fifth Bulldog since Bryant joined Division I to post 1000 career assists. She finished the match with 33 assists, a season high.

• Caroline Kennedy led all players with 13 kills. She also posted a .455 attack percentage and two blocks.

• Riley James was second to Kennedy with 11 kills in the match. She also had seven digs, an assist, and a block.

• The win marked Bryant's first ever victory over Harvard in women's volleyball.

Match 2

Northeastern 3, Bryant 0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-21)

Records: Bryant (5-4, 0-0 NEC), Northeastern (3-5, 0-0 CAA)

Location: Cabot Center, Boston, Mass.

How it happened:

Set 1: Bryant got out to the early lead in the opening set, but Northeastern used a 5-0 run to take the lead, which they would not relinquish. Emma McGovern had four kills in the set to lead Bryant, and Mia Cergol had six assists.

Set 2: The Huskies controlled this set from the beginning, using a .371 attack percentage (14 kills, one error) to keep Bryant at bay. Cergol led the Bulldogs' offense with four kills and six assists, and also had three digs.

Set 3: The final set was the closest of the match, with both teams trading points for most of the period. Bryant had their best hitting set of the match, posting 15 kills. However, Northeastern was able to pull away in the final few rallies. Caroline Kennedy had six kills and two blocks in the set for the Bulldogs.

Bulldog Notes and Notables:

• Caroline Kennedy led Bryant with ten kills in the match, and hit .429 in the process. She also tied with Alysa Wright for the team lead with three blocks.

• Mia Cergol had a season high five kills, along with 24 assists, seven digs, and a service ace.

• Miranda Jantzen recorded multiple career firsts in the match. She picked up her first block and assist, and also had her first three career digs.