October 24, 2008

BULLDOGS TEAR THROUGH CHICAGO STATE, 3-0, AT HOME FRIDAY NIGHT

Boxscore

SMITHFIELD, RI - Led by double-digit kills from freshmen Jazmin Stoner (Durango, Colo.) and Maria Scocca (Melrose, Mass.), the Bryant University volleyball team took a convincing 3-0 win over Chicago State University Friday night at the Chace Athletic Center.

Scocca's 12 kills paced the game, while Stoner knocked down 10 of her own in the contest, guiding the Bulldogs past an overwhelmed Cougar side.

The Bulldogs (15-13) dominated the first game, thundering attacks over the net that Chicago State (0-25) couldn't handle. Senior co-captain Delia Glover (Marston Mills, Mass.) recorded three aces during a seven-point serving rotation, while junior setter/outside hitter Julie Geonnotti (St. Louis Park, Minn.) earned two aces of her own as the Bulldogs took a 25-14 win to go up, 1-0.

The Cougars had no answer in the second set, either, as Scocca's six kills and two more aces from Geonnotti led Bryant to a 25-16 victory.

In need of one more game for their 15th win of the season, the Bulldogs had some difficulty finishing in the third set. Bryant went up, 15-9 before allowing CSU's Chy Crichton to serve to three-straight points and give the Cougars hope for a comeback.

But three-straight service aces from Scocca got the home team back on track, and three points was as close as the visitors would get, as the Bulldogs won their final non-tournament home match, 3-0, with a 25-20 win in game three.

The Bulldogs totaled 14 service aces in the match. Glover led the game with 21 digs while senior co-captain Maureen Atkins (Fenton, Mo.) paced the match with 14 assists. Geonnotti chipped in 11 assists of her own. The Cougars were led by six kills from Hanya Minta.

Bryant takes the remainder of the weekend off for the first time all season, set to return to the court next weekend, October 31 and November 1, for the NJIT Halloween Classic. Bryant will take on Howard University at 5 p.m. on Oct. 31 before facing off against Providence College (10 a.m.) and host New Jersey Institute of Technology (12 p.m.) on Saturday, Nov. 1.