• Sun, 11/13 | Women's Volleyball at Fairleigh Dickinson W, 3-2 (Final) BX | RC
  • Sat, 11/12 | Women's Volleyball at LIU Brooklyn L, 3-0 (Final) RC
  • Sun, 11/06 | Women's Volleyball vs. Saint Francis (PA) L, 3-2 (Final) BX | RC
  • Sat, 11/05 | Women's Volleyball vs. Robert Morris W, 3-2 (Final) BX | RC
  • Sat, 10/29 | Women's Volleyball at Quinnipiac W, 3-0 (Final) BX | RC
  • Sun, 10/23 | Women's Volleyball vs. Central Connecticut W, 3-1 (Final) BX | RC
  • Sat, 10/22 | Women's Volleyball at St. Francis (NY) W, 3-1 (Final) BX | RC
  • Wed, 10/19 | Women's Volleyball at Providence L, 3-1 (Final) BX | RC
  • Sun, 10/16 | Women's Volleyball vs. Fairleigh Dickinson L, 3-1 (Final) BX | RC
  • Sat, 10/15 | Women's Volleyball vs. LIU Brooklyn L, 3-0 (Final) BX | RC
 

Volleyball Opens NCAA Tournament Play Thursday at 5 p.m.

November 15, 2004

BRYANT VOLLEYBALL HEADS BACK TO NCAA’S FOR SIXTH-STRAIGHT TIME


NCAA Volleyball Notes

BULLDOGS BACK IN NCAA TOURNAMENT

The Bryant women's volleyball returns to the NCAA tournament for the sixth straight time this week when the Bulldogs travel to Flushing, N.Y. and the campus of Queens College for the 2004 NCAA Northeast Regional. The Bulldogs, the fourth seed of the tournament, will face Mercy College of New York - the fifth seed - in the opening round on Thursday at 5 p.m. The winner of the single elimination match will advance to the semifinals on Friday to face the winner of the Queens / Wilmington match. Queens is the defending regional champion, defeating Bryant last year 3-1 in the regional finale in Flushing, N.Y. Dowling, NYIT, UMass Lowell, and Bentley are the other participants in the eight-team regional tournament with the winner advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight at a site to be announced Dec. 2-4.

Tournament Schedule

Thurs, Nov. 18

NYIT vs. Bentley, 12:00 p.m.

Dowling vs. UMass Lowell, 2:30 p.m.

Bryant vs. Mercy, 5:00 p.m.

Queens vs. Wilmington, 7:30 p.m.

Fri., Nov. 19 Semifinals, 7:30 p.m.

Sat., Nov. 20 Championship, 7:00 p.m.

RECENTLY

The Bulldogs enter the tournament with a 34-5 overall record and recently completed its second-straight undefeated season in Northeast-10 Conference play as the Bulldogs won their second-straight NE-10 Conference tournament title, defeating Saint Anselm (3-0), Saint Rose (3-0), and Bentley (3-2) for the title last weekend in Springfield, Mass. This year marked the third time Bryant has posted and undefeated record in league play after going 8-0 in 1991.

THIS AND THAT’S

The Bulldogs are currently 34-5 this season after setting a school record for wins in 2003 with 37 ... Bryant is 71-12 in the last two years and have posted a 131-34 (.791) record for the past four years ... Junior Michelle Muñiz has recorded at least 500 kills during her three year career at Bryant ... Muñiz is currently second all-time for career kills with 1,642 ... Bryant's lone senior, libero Carola Pierluisi, owns the school record for career digs with 2,000 setting the mark against Tampa back on Oct. 23 ... She is also the owner of the school’s single season digs records with 764 this year (716 in 2003). Last weekend at the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament, Pierluisi was named the tournament MVP.

NORTHEAST-10 TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP SUMMARY

Michelle Muñiz (Guaynabo, P.R.) recorded a career-high 30 kills and freshman standout Jessica Henson (Bedford, TX) added a career-high 20 kills as the Bryant women’s volleyball team captured its second-consecutive Northeast-10 Conference Tournament title and third conference championship in the program’s history as the Bulldogs rallied from a two games to one deficit to defeat Bentley 3-2 Saturday.

Bryant won the first game 30-28 only to see Bentley storm back to win the next two 30-25, 30-26. Trailing 15-12 midway through the fourth game, the Bulldogs dug deep and would not be denied capturing back-to-back titles on this night.

Bryant, entering the match winners of 54-straight games against Northeast-10 Conference opponents, stormed back to take a 16-15 lead on a Muñiz kill down the left side. With junior Lindsay Klix (Rochester Hills, MI) serving, the Bulldogs rattled off 10-straight points to race out in front 22-15 and quickly turned the momentum back on the side of the defending champions. The Bulldogs would close out the match with an 18-6 run to win 30-21 and force the deciding fifth game.

BULLDOG BITES

The Bulldogs have captured five Northeast-10 Conference titles (1991, 1995, 1998, 2003, 2004) and have made eight NCAA appearances - including five straight ... This season has been one of streaks as the Bulldogs have not dropped two matches in a row all year and have been on the losing side just five times ... The school record for fewest number of losses is two when the 1979 Bryant team went 17-2 under hall of fame coach Lorraine Hudak ... Three of Bryant’s five losses this year have come against schools from the NYCAC and schools ranked higher in the regional coaches’ poll (Queens, Dowling, NYIT) ... Bryant’s other two losses were to seventh-ranked Tampa and Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras.

BULLDOGS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

Bryant is making its eighth trip to the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs have never won an NCAA regional championship despite reaching the final in back to back years. The Bulldogs fell to host New Haven in the 2002 regional championship and dropped a 3-1 decision to host Queens in the 2003 regional final. Bryant blanked UMass Lowell 3-0 and New Haven 3-0 last year. The Bulldogs are 8-8 all-time in NCAA tournament play.

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