Volleyball Splits Day 2 of UConn Tournament

STORRS, CT- The Bryant women's volleyball team split their matches on the second day of the UConn Dog Pound Invitational. They fell to Yale, 3-1, and defeated the Highlanders of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, 3-0.

Match 1

Yale 3, Bryant 1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-12, 25-13)

Records: Bryant (5-8), Yale (7-1)

Location: Gampel Pavilion (Storrs, CT)

How it Happened:

Set 1: Bryant led for most of the first set, but had to survive multiple Yale comebacks to hold on for the 25-21 win. Haley O'Brien had three kills and four of Bryant's five team blocks in the period.

Set 2: Bryant and Yale went back and forth on scoring in the second, until Yale used a 6-0 run to pull away late in the set. They would go on to win the set 22-16. Emma McGovern led Bryant with seven kills.

Set 3: Yale jumped out to an early lead in Set 3, and kept it. Bryant struggled to stay close, thanks to Yale's hot hitting (14 kills to just two errors). O'Brien had the most kills in the set for Bryant with three.

Set 4: The fourth set started similarly to the second, with both teams trading points. However, Yale pulled away in the second half of the period to win the set and the match. Caroline Kennedy, Alysa Wright, and Riley James had two kills apiece for Bryant in the set.

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Emma McGovern led Bryant with 12 kills. Her 117 kills are sixth most in the NEC.

• Haley O'Brien's five blocks led Bryant and are the most she's had in a match this season.

• Mia Cergol notched her fourth game with at least one kill, assist, service ace, dig, and block this season. McGovern and Riley James are the only other Bulldogs to accomplish the feat so far.

• Bryant had seven total blocks in the match, their fourth highest total this season and most since September 4th vs. Boston College.

Match 2

Bryant 3, NJIT 0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-18)

Records: Bryant (6-8), NJIT (1-11)

Location: Gampel Pavilion

Coach Garlacy's Comments

"Our team bounced back with tough serving, consistent hitting, and solid first ball contact. This tournament gets us another step closer in readiness for conference play."

How it Happened:

Set 1: Bryant got out to a 4-0 lead to start the set, and then gradually pulled away. The Bulldogs surrendered just seven kills on a .040 attack percentage from NJIT, while notching twelve kills against just four errors on their side. Caroline Kennedy led the set with four kills.

Set 2: The Bulldogs got out to another big lead in the second set, using a 10-2 run to blow open the score. Bryant's attacks were again their biggest advantage, as they outnumbered NJIT 16 kills to seven. Kennedy and Riley James led with four kills each in the period

Set 3: The Highlanders scored first in the third set and played closer than they did most of the match, but Bryant was able to stop their momentum, using a late run to pull away and win the set by seven. The Bulldogs weren't quite as dominant with their attacks in the set, but Alysa Wright led the way with four kills.

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Eight different players had kills for Bryant, including four with at least six kills. Caroline Kennedy led the way with nine kills on just twelve attempts.

• Bryant had eight service aces in the match, their fourth highest total this year. Abby Rae led the team and tied a career high of four.

• The Bulldogs had one of their best hitting games of the season, finishing the match with a .315 attack percentage, their second best on the year. They also held NJIT to a .089 percentage, their best mark this season.

• Emma McGovern was named to the weekend's all-tournament team. She finished the three game tourney with 33 kills and 17 digs.