Volleyball Rallies for 3-1 Win Over Lesley

MEDFORD, Mass. – The visiting Bridgewater State University volleyball team rallied from a set down to post a 3-1 victory (24-26, 25-21, 25-17, 25-16) over Lesley University on Wednesday night in Medford.

The Bears, who snapped a five-game skid, improve to 4-6 on the season. The host Lynx fall to 3-5.

Junior outside hitter Gabryella Serrano (Bridgewater, Mass.) paced the Bears with a career-high 13 kills to go along with 13 digs and a match-high four aces. Junior middle hitter Sydney Rice (Medway, Mass.) added ten kills, three aces and three assisted blocks in her return to the lineup, while junior outside hitter Abigail Gardner (Holden, Mass.) notched nine kills and 17 digs.

BSU junior setter Casey Holmes (Norton, Mass.) dished out a career-high 39 assist and added four kills. Senior middle hitter Shannon Grindle (Halifax, Mass.) checked in with seven kills and a match-best .400 hitting percentage, while sophomore right side Becca Whalen (Plymouth, Mass.) tallied six kills and three assisted blocks, and freshman libero Victoria Caiano (New Bedford, Mass.) recorded a match-high 19 digs.

The Bears connected for a .152 hitting percentage and finished with nine aces and four team blocks on the night. The Lynx posted a .095 hitting percentage and registered five aces and three team blocks. The two teams combined for 17 serving errors.

After Lesley pulled out a 26-24 win in the opening set, the Bears bounced back to take the second. With the score tied at 14-14 in the set, the Bears reeled off five straight points, thanks in part to four Lesley errors, to grab the momentum and a 19-14 lead. Kills from Rice and Whalen, a Serrano ace and three Lesley attacking errors would account for the Bears final six points of the set.

The Bears held a comfortable 17-11 lead in the third set before a kill by senior middle hitter Cassidy Wygonik (Madison, Conn.) and two BSU attacking errors cut the Lesley deficit to 17-14. The Bears, however, scored seven of the next eight points, to pull away for the win. Back-to-back aces by Rice and back-to-back kills from Grindle highlighted the 7-1 run. Holmes closed out the set with a kill.

Clinging to a 19-16 lead in the fourth and final set, the Bears got some help with a Lesley attacking error. Gardner then closed out the match with five straight service points which included an ace as well as three kills from Serrano.

Sophomore outside hitter Elise Morgan (Holbrook, Mass.) led the way for the Lynx with a match-best 17 kills to go along with 15 digs and a pair of aces. Wygonik finished with nine kills, ten digs and two assisted blocks, while junior setter Tallin Goldberg (Merrimack, N.H.) handed out 32 assists and notched ten digs.

Both teams are back in action on Saturday afternoon. The Bears travel to Salem State University for a one o'clock MASCAC match with the Vikings, while the Lynx head to Mitchell College to take on the Mariners at two.