Bulldogs Split Day Two of Bryant Invitational

SMITHFIELD, R.I.- The Bryant women's volleyball team split the second day of their home tournament, defeating Montana State 3-2 and falling 3-1 to Boston College. The Bulldogs' Abby Rae and Aubrey Lapour were named to the All-Tournament team.

Coach Garlacy's Comments: "I am extremely proud of our team tonight, we battled hard until the very last point. This is the fastest tempo volleyball we have played and our hitters are adjusting nicely. Haley O'Brien had an outstanding weekend along with Fabi Castro and Aubrey Lapour. Defensively, Abby Rae and both of our setters did an amazing job. Our crowd and support were important to our success this weekend."

Bryant 3, Montana State 2 (25-16, 17-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-12)

Records: BRY (4-2), MSU (1-5)

How it Happened

Set 1: Both teams traded points to open Set 1 before an 8-1 run gave Bryant a 13-5 lead. The Bulldogs were able to maintain their advantage through the rest of the set, going ahead to win by nine. Caroline Kennedy and Riley James combined for seven of Bryant's eleven kills in the set.

Set 2: Bryant scored first in the second, but Montana State came back to tie the score and eventually take the lead with a 5-1 run. The Bulldogs worked their way back to a tie at twelve, but a 7-1 Bobcats run gave them a six-point lead they would not give up. Bryant totaled five blocks in the set, with James, Alysa Wright, and Haley O'Brien each recording two block assists.

Set 3: Just like the first two, Set 3 was closely fought early, with neither team leading by more than one point until Bryant took an 8-6 advantage. The Bulldogs were able to maintain the lead to the end of the set, despite MSU never trailing by more than three points. Six players recorded multiple kills for Bryant in the set, with O'Brien and Aubrey Lapour each hitting three.

Set 4: Bryant scored first in Set 4, but MSU scored three straight points to take the lead. The Bulldogs came back, using kills by Mia Cergol and Caroline Kennedy to pull ahead, but a 7-1 Bobcats run gave them the lead for good. Bryant got back to within three, but MSU forced a fifth set, winning 25-21. Lapour and Kennedy had four kills each for Bryant.

Set 5: The Bulldogs controlled the deciding set from the jump, scoring three of the first four points en route to a wire-to-wire set win. MSU fought to within one at 12-11, but a kill by Lapour and consecutive Bobcat errors sealed the win for Bryant. Kennedy had one kill and two blocks for the Bulldogs in the closing set.

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Caroline Kennedy led all players with eleven kills and added six blocks, including one solo. Her 49 kills lead the Bulldogs this season.

• The Bulldogs' 16 total blocks were their most in a match this season, and fifth most in a match in Division I program history. Alysa Wright and Haley O'Brien each had seven blocks to lead the team.

• Abby Rae and Mia Cergol led the team with thirteen digs apiece. Rae also received 31 serves without committing an error.

Boston College 3, Bryant 1 (21-25, 25-19, 27-25, 25-20)

Records: BC (6-0), BRY (4-3)

How it Happened

Set 1: Boston College opened the set with a 3-0 run before Bryant roared back to take a 6-4 lead. Both teams went back and forth throughout the set to the tune of thirteen ties and five lead changes, with Bryant using a pair of late runs to put the set away and win by four. Aubrey Lapour led a balanced offensive attack, posting four kills

Set 2:  The Bulldogs and Eagles traded kills to open the second as both teams stayed close before BC used back-to-back kills to take a 6-4 lead. Bryant kept the score close until the Eagles rattled off a 5-1 run to take a 19-13 lead. The Bulldogs responded, narrowing the score to three before BC pulled away. Lapour and Maggie Ryan each had two kills and a block assist for 2.5 points each in the set.

Set 3: A 4-0 run put Bryant ahead by three early in the third, with a pair of kills by Lapour giving the Bulldogs momentum. Bryant was able to maintain the lead for much of the set until a 4-0 Eagles run tied it at 23. The Bulldogs were able to pull ahead twice but couldn't seal the deal, as BC scored the final two points to take the set. Lapour's seven kills led all players in the set.

Set 4: Back-to-back BC kills opened the scoring in the fourth, as the Eagles withstood a brief Bryant rally to take control early on. They extended their lead to as many as seven before Bryant mounted a comeback. A 7-1 Bulldog run brought the deficit back to one at 18-17, and Bryant was able to stay close until a late push gave BC the win. Lapour and Fabi Castro had four kills apiece for Bryant in the set.

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Aubrey Lapour's 17 kills were the most by a Bryant player in any match this season, and set a new career high for the sophomore. She finished the match with a .344 attack percentage and added five blocks and two digs.

• Maggie Ryan tied a career high with five blocks, including one solo. She added four kills, finishing with seven total points.

• Alysa Wright and Haley O'Brien posted five blocks, joining Ryan and Lapour as four Bulldogs to reach that number in the game.

• Lapour and Abby Rae were both named to the All-Tournament team for the weekend. Lapour finished the tournament with 25 kills, seven blocks, and six digs, while Rae had 33 digs and seven assists.

Bryant Invitational All-Tournament Team

Boston College: Alayna Crabtree (MVP), Kate Brennan, Grace Penn

Bryant: Aubrey Lapour, Abby Rae

Montana State: Emma Pence

Harvard: Nicole Prescott

Up next: The Bulldogs will wrap up the homestand on Tuesday, hosting Brown. First serve is set for 7:30 pm.