Volleyball Splits Conference Matches at Bryant

The Central Connecticut volleyball team split a pair of Northeast Conference matches at Bryant on Tuesday. The Blue Devils dropped a tightly-contested five-set match to open the day, before bouncing back with a four-set win in the second match.

Seniors Emma Henderson and Samantha McCreath each had a pair of double-doubles in the doubleheader for CCSU.

GAME INFORMATION
Match 1 Score: Bryant 3, CCSU 2 (18-25, 25-19, 25-22, 24-26, 15-13)
Match 2 Score:  CCSU 3, Bryant 1 (33-31, 19-25, 25-17, 25-17)
Records: CCSU (4-4, 4-4 NEC), BRY (5-4, 5-3 NEC)
Location: Chace Center | Smithfield, RI

KEY MOMENTS 

• CCSU opened the first match with a 4-0 run to take an early lead in the opening set. The Blue Devils would lead by as much as 20-10 before taking the opening frame. Bryant bounced back in the second set, taking a 7-4 lead with four straight points, before stretching the lead with a 6-0 run to make it 14-7. CCSU would get within 18-15 late, but the Bulldogs held off the surge to even the match. Bryant scored five straight to go ahead 13-9 in the third set but CCSU would draw even at 17-17. The Bulldogs scored four straight to regain the lead and would hold off the Blue Devils. CCSU rallied from a 23-16 deficit to win 26-24 and force a fifth set. Bryant took the fifth set after closing the match on the seventh match point.
• The Blue Devils took a back-and-forth opening set when each team had three shots at set point. The Blue Devils finally took the set after a kill by senior Samantha McCreath and a block by sophomore Isabelle Roufs and freshman Tori Boulay. Bryant broke a 12-12 tie with seven straight points to take control of the second set and go on to even the match. Central would take the lead from the outset in set three and pull away to close out the set with a comfortable margin.

NUMBER TO KNOW

3 - The Blue Devils have posted at least 78 digs in three straight matches. CCSU had 81 and 78 digs, respectively, in Tuesday's matches.

NOTES 

• Northeast Conference teams are playing a double round-robin doubleheader format over five weeks this spring after the fall season was wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The top two teams will meet for the league crown on April 3.
• Senior Samantha McCreath posted a double-double with 16 kills and 20 digs to lead CCSU in the first match. She had a 12-kill, 12-dig performance in the second match.
• Senior Emma Henderson added 15 kills and 14 digs in the first match. Henderson had 14 kills, 11 digs to lead CCSU in the win.
• Freshman Nyjha Marcelin had a team-high 18 kills in the opening match and 13 kills in the second.
• Junior Natalie Novak had 33 assists in the opening match before posting a double-double with 24 assists and 10 digs.
• Freshman Tori Boulay had 24 assists and 19 assists, respectively, in the matches.
• Senior Ashlyn Eisenga led the Blue Devils with 28 digs, before collecting 32 digs in the four-set win.
• Sophomore Isabelle Roufs had eight total blocks in the second match.

UP NEXT
Central hosts Fairleigh Dickenson on Wednesday, March 31, to close out the scheduled season. Links to live stats and video to follow the matches are available HERE.