Wright, James Lead Bulldogs in Triumph over UAlbany

ALBANY, N.Y.- The Bryant volleyball team came back in a marathon fourth set to defeat UAlbany 3-1 Sunday afternoon. The win improved their America East record to 4-2 and put them in a tie with Binghamton for second place in the conference standings.

Alysa Wright was a dominant force all day for the Bulldogs, finishing with 18 kills, a .607 attack percentage, and eight blocks. Riley James was also on her game with 16 kills, twelve digs, and a block.

Coach Garlacy's Comments: "Tonight's match was a great battle with 16 lead changes and 38 ties. A variety of people stepped up to fight back. Alysa was a true warrior and Riley hit very aggressively, finishing with a double-double. Josie came in at libero and was such a spark plug. Haley came up big in the fourth set, especially with her play at the net. Winning this match on the road is a key step towards earning a spot in the conference tournament." 

Bryant 3, UAlbany 1 (26-24, 23-25, 25-21, 33-31)

Records: BRY (15-9, 4-2 AE), ALB (7-16, 2-4 AE)

How it Happened

Set 1: Both teams traded mini-runs to open the match before a 6-1 stretch by the Bulldogs staked them to a 10-6 lead. UAlbany would battle back to tie the score before taking the lead 21-18. The lead would change hands a few more times before Alysa Wright took things into her own hands, ending the set with two kills and a block assist to give Bryant the 26-24 win.

Set 2: The second set started in similar fashion to the first, with the Bulldogs and Great Danes exchanging the lead numerous times. Neither team had a lead bigger than four throughout the set, but UAlbany had the last laugh, scoring three of the final four points to take the win.

Set 3: The back-and-forth trend continued in the third, with the two teams fighting for momentum and keeping the score close. The turning point came on a 5-0 run for the Bulldogs, who turned a 12-10 deficit into a 15-12 lead. They wouldn't trail for the rest of the set, scoring the final three points after a late push by the Great Danes.

Set 4: UAlbany opened the fourth set on a 6-1 run, eventually extending their lead to 14-6, the largest lead for either team in the match. Bryant struck back, however, as an Emma McGovern kill kicked off a 6-0 run to get the Bulldogs back to within two. A pair of kills from Wright tied the score at 24, setting in motion an extra play battle that saw Bryant survive set point three times. Wright was clutch again at the end, scoring the final two points on a kill and a block to seal the deal.

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Alysa Wright set new career highs with 18 kills and 23 total points in the match, hitting a team-best .607 in the process. Her 18 kills were also the most by a Bulldog this season.

• Wright raised her season-hitting percentage to .313, the third highest in the America East.

• Riley James' 16 kills set a new season high, and marked the second time she's eclipsed 15 in a match in 2022. She added twelve digs for her second straight double-double.

• Mia Cergol set a new season high with 51 assists, the third most in a four-set match in the conference this year. She broke the fifty assist mark for the third time in her career and first since last November against LIU.

What's next: The Bulldogs will host Merrimack in non-conference action on Tuesday, with first serve set for 7:00 pm. Their next conference match will be next Sunday at New Hampshire.