August 28, 2010

BULLDOGS SPLIT IN FINAL DAY OF HAMPTON TOURNAMENT, TOP SOUTH CAROLINA STATE, 3-0

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – A quartet of players combined for double-digit kill totals in a pair of matches Saturday, as the Bryant University volleyball team split in the final day of competition at the Tiny Laster Memorial Tournament.

Junior Maria Scocca (Melrose, Mass.) led the way with 15 kills, collecting a match-high 10 of them in a 3-0 win over South Carolina State (1-2) in the second matchup of the day. The Bulldogs (3-1) fell to undefeated Towson, 3-1, in the early game.

Junior Jazmin Stoner (Durango, Colo.), with 13 total kills, was joined at the top of the offensive list by a pair of freshmen in Mariah Burgess (Urbana, Ill.) and Kendall Gaffney (Colorado Springs, Colo.), who collected 13 and 12 kills on the day, respectively.

Scocca and Burgess registered a pair of block assists to earn four of Bryant's six blocks in the afternoon win over SCSU, while Jadith Lorenzo (Lawrence, Mass.) collected her second double-double (21 assists, 10 digs) in as many days. Sophomore Macy Mitravich (Waimanalo, Hawaii) picked up a match-high 13 digs.

In the day's early game – a 9:00 a.m. start – the Bulldogs struggled to get past a tough Towson (3-0) side but were paced by a team-high eight kills from Burgess. Bryant won the first set, 25-23, before falling in the next three for the 3-1 final.

Mitravich again led the digs category with 23 in the first contest, but the Black and Gold were outblocked, 11-4, also falling victim to an impressive 12 aces from the Tiger ranks. Stoner recorded the only ace of the game for the Bulldogs, who served up six on the day. Lorenzo posted a two-match total of 37 assists in Saturday's action, finishing the weekend with 93 helpers to earn all-tournament honors for the Black and Gold.

Bryant returns to Smithfield, R.I. having gone 3-1 in the season-opening tournament and next plays in the Harvard Invitational Sept. 3-4.