October 4, 2007

BRYANT VOLLEYBALL DEFEATS NEW HAVEN 3-0 THURSDAY NIGHT

@ Smithfield, RI
Bryant 3, New Haven 0
Game Scores:   40-38, 34-32, 30-26
Records: Bryant 15-9; New Haven 12-3

Sophomore Julie Geonnotti had 14 kills and hit .312 in Bryant's 3-0 win over New Haven Thursday night.  www.dspics.com

SMITHFIELD, RI -  Bryant volleyball senior Likica Grceva (Natick, Mass.) equaled a season high with 22 kills and added 18 digs defensively to lift the Bulldog women's volleyball team to a 3-0 win over visiting New Haven Thursday evening at the Chace Athletic Center.  Game scores were 40-38, 34-32, 30-26. 

Bryant (15-9) fell to New Haven 3-0 earlier this season at a tournament in Waltham, Mass., but on this night, the Bulldogs were up to the task to pick up its biggest win of the season.  The first game set the tempo for the rest of the match as the Bulldogs outlasted the Chargers in a marathon.  With the Chargers serving game point, up 36-35, Julie Geonnotti (St. Louis Park, Minn.) connect on back-to-back kills to put the Bulldogs up a point. 

But the Chargers (12-3) would bounce back as Hannah Meier tallied a kill and Rhe-Ann Niles put the visitors back up a point with a huge kill down the middle.  But Bryant would bounce back as senior setter Tiffany Garry (Frankfort, Ill) took things upon herself with a kill and after a passing error, it was Geonnotti giving Bryant the win with a big block at the net.

Game two would go down to the wire as New Haven fought off four game-point serves by Bryant, but Delia Glover (Marston Mills, Mass.) closed things out with a service ace to win the game and put Bryant up 2-0. 

In the third, it was all Grceva as the outside hitter powered a kill down the line and followed with an ace to push the Bulldogs to the brink of a win where freshman Miranda Kolb (Holt, MI) and Adrienne Boss (Dracut, Mass.) combined on a block to end it.

New Haven was led by standout middle Anicia Wood who hit a blistering .519 offensively with 16 kills and just two errors on 27 swings.  She would also add five blocks.  Charisse Cotton and Niles added 14 and 11 kills respectively.

Bryant will travel to Long Island this Saturday to face Adelphi (11 am) and Dowling (3 pm).  New Haven will return home to face Molloy and University of Sciences Philadelphia this Saturday in West Haven, Conn.

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