Bulldogs Fall to UMBC in America East Opener

BALTIMORE, Md.- The Bryant women's volleyball team fell to UMBC 3-0 in their America East opener on Saturday. Haley O'Brien led the Bulldogs with eight kills and six blocks.

Coach Garlacy's Comments: "Not the start to conference play we expected. We need to use it as a learning experience and play with more intensity next time out."

UMBC 3, Bryant 0 (27-25, 25-20, 25-14)

Records: BRY (10-8, 0-1 AE), UMBC (8-5, 1-0 AE)

How it Happened

Set 1: Bryant started strong in the first, going on a 5-0 run to open up an early lead. The Bulldogs were able to extend the lead to five before UMBC came back with their own 5-0 run to tied the score at ten. Both teams traded points throughout the set before the Retrievers scored the final two points to take the win. Haley O'Brien led on both sides of the ball for Bryant with four kills and three blocks.

Set 2: The Bulldogs started the second the same as the first, this time opening up a 9-3 lead before UMBC called timeout. Bryant was able to hold the lead for much of the set, but a late 7-2 run by the Retrievers gave them a five-point set win. Emma McGovern had three kills and a block for the Bulldogs.

Set 3: Riley James opened Set 3 with a kill, setting off a back-and-forth battle between the two teams. Bryant and UMBC traded the lead multiple times early in the set, but a 7-0 run by the Retrievers handed them an insurmountable advantage. The Bulldogs had a couple of short runs, but could not cut into the lead. Seven different players had a kill in the set for Bryant, including three from Alysa Wright.

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Haley O'Brien finished with six blocks for the second match in a row. She's had at least five rejections in five matches this season and now has 332 in her career.

• Alysa Wright led the Bulldogs with nine kills and a .438 hitting percentage. She leads the team with a .286 attack percentage on the year.

• Maggie Ryan tied a season and career high with five blocks in the match. She was one of four players to finish with multiple blocks.

What's next: Bryant will return home next weekend for their first two conference home matches. They will host Albany on Friday at 7:00 pm and New Hampshire on Sunday at 1:00.