CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. – The Bryant volleyball team earned the win in four sets over the Harvard Crimson on Friday afternoon, powered by
Ruth Ochelli's career-high 20 kills.
Game Information
Final: Bryant 3, Harvard 1
Records: Bryant (5-7, 0-0 America East), Harvard (0-6, 0-0 Ivy League)
Location: Margot Connell Recreation Center, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
COACH GARLACY'S COMMENTS
"Winning the first set after being down quite a bit, we rallied to come back and win. This was a character building set, in the second set, we were pretty flawless, but in the third we played a little frantic but were able to close it out in the fourth with some outstanding gritty play."
HOW IT HAPPENED
- SET 1 – The Bulldogs got off to a 10-5 lead in the first set, highlighted by a trio of kills from Arianna Ugolini. The Crimson responded by flipping the match in their favor, going on an 8-2 run to take the 13-12 lead and force a Bryant timeout. Harvard followed up that run with a 6-2 stretch to go in front 19-14 and prompt another Bryant timeout. The Bulldogs countered the Crimson attack, tying the score at twenty a piece, with Brookelyn Talmadge tallying a kill and Madison Koeller recording a pair. Bryant tied the score again at twenty-three a piece as Kaitlin Curran notched a kill and a service ace and London Hunt added a kill, forcing a Harvard timeout. The first set proved to be a marathon as neither side could put the other away, with the score being knotted up at twenty-nine. The Bulldogs finally polished it off with kills from Kaitlin Curran and Ruth Ochelli to take the first set 31-29.
- SET 2 – Bryant jumped in front 7-3 to begin the second set, with Arianna Ugolini tacking on a pair of kills and Ruth Ochelli and Kaitlin Curran each chipping in with one, forcing an early Harvard timeout. The Bulldogs went on a dominant 10-4 run to stretch their lead to 17-7, powered by a trio of kills from Arianna Ugolini and capped off with a service ace from Madison Koeller, forcing a desperate Harvard timeout. Bryant continued to pad their lead, going up by ten again to take the 22-12 lead, led by a pair of kills from London Hunt and a combined block from Brookelyn Talmadge and Arianna Ugolini. The Bulldogs finished it off as Madison Koeller added another kill, sealing the second set 25-14.
- SET 3 – Both teams traded punches in the third set, with Bryant edging Harvard 8-7, with Ruth Ochelli, Kaitlin Curran, and Brookelyn Talmadge each recording a kill and Claudia Camacho-Castro notching a service ace. The Crimson responded by jumping in front 12-9 and forcing a Bryant timeout. The Bulldogs battled and stayed within three, trailing 15-12 as Ruth Ochelli tallied a pair of kills. The momentum carried over, leading to a block from London Hunt and Ruth Ochelli, with the Bulldogs trailing 16-13. The Crimson closed in on the first set however, taking the 21-16 lead and forcing a Bryant timeout. The Bulldogs stayed alive as they trimmed the deficit to 23-20, with back-to-back kills from Ruth Ochelli and kills from Kaitlin Curran and Brookelyn Talmadge, prompting a Harvard timeout. Bryant couldn't hold on however, as Harvard closed out the third set 25-21 to stay alive in the match.
- SET 4 – The fourth set proved to be a battle, with Bryant pulling ahead 12-11, highlighted by three kills from Ruth Ochelli. Bryant then took the 20-18 lead as Ruth Ochelli added two more kills and capped off by a service ace from Madison Keem. This allowed the Bulldogs to close in on the fourth set, as Arianna Ugolini and Kaitlin Curran each added a kill, and Ruth Ochelli continued her dominant performance by adding a pair of kills to seal the fourth set 25-22 and earn the win in four sets over Harvard.
STATS
MATCH NOTES
NEXT UP
The Bulldogs are back tomorrow for Day 2 of the BC Invitational (Sep.20), taking on Stonehill at 12:00 PM and Boston College at 7:00 PM.
