November 10, 2007
BRYANT TOPS MERRIMACK, 3-1, TO WIN NORTHEAST-10 TOURNAMENT
CHAMPIONSHIP
Bulldogs stay perfect in conference regular-season and
post-season play; Bryant wins fifth NE-10 Tournament
WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior Likicia Grceva (Natick,
Mass.) had 25 kills and eight digs to lead the top-seeded
Bryant University volleyball team to a 3-1 win over third-seeded
Merrimack College in the 2007 Northeast-10 Conference Tournament
Championship Game Saturday night at Bentley's Dana
Center.
In the first game, the Bulldogs made quick work of the Warriors,
who advanced to the final after stunning second-seeded host Bentley
College, 3-0, earlier Saturday afternoon. Bryant trumped Merrimack,
30-16, on the back of eight kills from Grceva.
Bryant trailed for much of the second game, finally knotting the
score at 20-20 before going virtually point-for-point with the
Warriors for the remainder of the match. But the Bulldogs would not
be defeated, taking their first lead at 31-30 and winning on the
next service, 32-30.
Up 2-0, the Bulldogs came out fast in the third game, but
Merrimack stormed back to hand Bryant its first loss of the
tournament, 30-20.
But Bryant couldn't get back into a rhythm early in the
fourth game, trailing by as many as 10 points before coming back to
tie the game at 24-24. The Bulldogs then took a lead it
wouldn't relinquish, winning 30-28 for the 3-1 final.
The Bulldogs were paced by Tournament Most Valuable Player Grceva
and Tiffany Garry (Frankfort, Ill.). Grceva
finished with 25 of the team's 61 kills (.333 hitting pct.),
while Garry boasted 15 digs and 48 assists. Sophomore
Morgan Wood (Cedar Park, Texas) led Bryant with a
trio of service aces and junior libero registered a team-high 19
digs.
The Bulldogs cruised through the weekend's Northeast-10
Conference Tournament with barely a hiccup Friday and Saturday
after winning the regular season title with an undefeated 14-0
record. Bryant topped eighth-seeded Saint Rose Friday night, 3-0,
before sweeping Pace earlier Saturday in three-straight games.
The win was Bryant's fifth Northeast-10 Tournament win and
its fourth in five years.
