BULLDOGS TAKE ON OREGON CLASSIC, NO. 8 DUCKS TO OPEN 2013 SEASON
SMITHFIELD, R.I. — The Bryant University volleyball team isn't backing into its toughest competition of the season. In fact, the Bulldogs very well may be starting with it.
Bryant will travel across the country to open the 2013 season at the Oregon Classic in Eugene, Ore., Friday and Saturday, where the Bulldogs will be pitted against teams from Ohio University (Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m. ET), Eastern Washington (Aug. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET) and the eighth-ranked host Ducks (Aug. 31, 2:00 p.m. ET) at Matthew Knight Arena.
Friday night against Ohio, Bryant will take on a Bobcat side that has been picked to finish second in the MAC East Division behind three preseason all-conference honorees in junior outside hitters Kelly Lamberti and Chelsea Bilger and sophomore setter Abby Gilleland.
The reigning MAC Player of the Year, Lamberti finished second in the MAC in kills per set in 2012 (3.95), while also contributing 370 digs, 56 blocks and 29 service aces. She is one of five returning starters — a group which also includes 2012 starting libero and MAC Co-Freshman of the Year Meredith Ashy — who will grace the Bobcat bench in 2013, and Ohio returns 63 percent of its offensive production from a season ago. An all-conference first team pick last season, Ashy picked up 522 digs with 92 assists and 16 aces as a rookie.
From there, the Black and Gold will face their toughest test of the season in No. 8 Oregon, who brings back nine letterwinners from a squad that advanced all the way to the NCAA National Championship Game a season ago.
The Ducks, who finished 2012 with a 30-5 overall record, start the year with their highest preseason ranking ever. And while the tournament hosts return All-Americans Liz Brenner and Lauren Plum, Oregon will need to replace the firepower of last year's AVCA National Player of the Year Alaina Bergsma.
With Bergsma's graduation, the Ducks lose a whopping 572 kills, good for 4.85 per set, and a .325 attack percentage which was tops on the team in 2012. But Brenner is poised to step up to the top spot when it comes to offensive production, after offering up 466 kills with 24 aces, 308 digs and 53 blocks last fall. Plum, meanwhile, led the nation in assists (1618) and assists per set (13.37) while chipping in 26 aces, 262 digs and 36 stuffs.
Bryant will wrap up its season-opening tournament against Eastern Washington Saturday night, where it will face an Eagles side that posted a 5-26 record in 2012. Slated to finish sixth according to the Big Sky Preseason Coaches Poll, EWU returns its lead blocker in junior Talia Fermantez, whose 88 stuffs and .268 attack percentage paced the squad.
The Eagles also add nine newcomers, including five transfers, to their ranks but will have to cope with the loss of their top three defensive players in Cora Kellerman (315 digs), Shelby Puckett (292) and Laney Brown (180). Kellerman also paced the side in kills a year ago (303), while Brown was the team's top setter (796) and server (19 aces).
The Bulldogs — now entering just their second season with full NCAA Division I eligibility — will look to make their presence known at the high-powered tournament, and will do so behind the return of top hitter Claire Van Dyk (New Richmond, Wis.). Van Dyk paced the side in kills (310) and kills per set (2.61) as a rookie in 2012 and will look to fellow veterans Kaitlyn Klein (Modesto, Calif.) and Kendall Gaffney (Colorado Springs, Colo.) to help drive the Black and Gold offense. Junior captain and starting libero Elena Lohr (Loveland, Ohio) returns to the court donning the alternate jersey to pace the Bryant defense after posting 325 digs as a sophomore.
This is the first meeting between the Bulldogs and all three weekend opponents, and fans can watch all three Oregon Classic matches live and free of charge here.
