Volleyball Holds Off Nichols, 3-2

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The visiting Bridgewater State University volleyball team battled back from a set down to post a 3-2 win over Nichols College on Saturday afternoon at the Nichols Athletic Center.

The Bears improve to 5-6 on the season, while the Bison fall to 5-7. Bridgewater State  and Nichols were meeting for the first time in the sport of women's volleyball. The Bison women's volleyball team has been in existence since 2016.

After dropping the first set, 25-10, the Bears bounced back with a 25-21 win in the second set followed by a 25-16 victory in set three. The Bison staved off elimination with a tough 26-24 decision in the fourth set before the Bears took the match with a 17-15 win in the deciding fifth set.

Senior middle hitter Sydney Rice (Medway, Mass.) paced Bridgewater State with 13 kills, four aces, nine digs and a match-best five assisted blocks. Sophomore middle hitter Amber Arruda (Swansea, Mass.) added a career-best 14 kills for the Bears, while sophomore outside hitter Abigail Reardon (Fairhaven, Mass.) notched a career-best 11 kills to go along with four digs and four assisted blocks. Junior setter Savannah Quintal (Assonet, Mass.) and sophomore setter Bethany Votta (Cumberland, R.I.) combined for 41 assists with Quintal leading the way with 24 helpers. Quintal also recorded a match-high five aces and tallied seven digs. Junior libero Victoria Caiano (Acushnet, Mass.) checked in with 23 digs and three aces.

Sophomore outside hitter Haylee Granato (Bolton, Conn.) notched a match-high 19 kills to lead the way for Nichols. Granato also notched a pair of assisted blocks. Senior setter Lindsey Rugg (Coventry, R.I.) handed out 39 assists for the Bison while sophomore defensive specialist Liz Diorio (Wolcott, Conn.) racked up 26 digs and senior middle hitter Emily Tinyszin (Southington, Conn.) chipped in with seven kills and four blocks. Senior outside hitter Jayleen Fegan (Mansfield Center, Conn.), meanwhile, filled the stat sheet with 17 digs, nine kills, and three blocks.

In a fairly evenly played match, the Bears recorded 54 kills, a .206 hitting percentage and nine blocks (one solo). The visitors also finished with 15 aces and nine serving errors. The Bison amassed 55 kills, a .230 hitting percentage and eight blocks (two solo), as well as 11 aces and nine serving errors.

In upcoming action, the Bears entertain Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) opponent Mass. Maritime Academy on Tuesday night at six. The Bison entertain Roger Williams University in a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) match on Wednesday night at seven.