Bobcats fall to Bryant 3-0

Bobcats fall to Bryant 3-0 

By Angelique Fiske, QBSN Staff Writer

The Quinnipiac volleyball team lost to Bryant University in three straight sets (20-25, 14-25, 15-25) for the second time this season.  The loss, coming on the team’s annual Dig Pink weekend, brings the Bobcats’ Northeast Conference record to 3-8 and 4-20 overall.

Despite the score, the Bobcats had a tremendous effort, particularly in the first and third sets.  Freshmen Tierra Allen (Sumter, S.C.) had five kills in the first set alone, racking up seven on the day, and junior Taylor Payne (Warwick, N.Y.) had five kills of her own, three coming in the first set.  The Bobcats also had 22 assists in the game, 21 of them coming from senior Kayla Lawler (Louisville, Ky). 

“When we let it flow, it was great, but we just pressed too hard,” head coach Robin Sparks said.  “I think they just tried too hard.  When you try to press too hard, you tense up, and you can’t play tense.  It’s such a mental game.  You have to be able to keep your mind focused on what’s going to happen next.”

While the offense posed a bit of a problem for the Bobcats after their 20-point first game, the defense stayed very much intact.  Sophomore Tracy Wright (Fair Lawn, N.J.) had 20 digs, and senior Kelby Carey (Surfside, Calif.) had 12 of her own, bringing her 13 digs away from the 1,000 mark with 987.

“Defensively, we played well.  We stopped their outsides which was a big focus for us because we knew that [Maria] Scocca was going to get her kills, so you have to limit your kills from everybody else,” Sparks said.  “We just couldn’t take care of our own offense.  I think that’s what hurt.”

Scocca did indeed get her kills, nailing 13 in the three-set game, the team-high in kills Bentley.

Sparks, while praising the defensive performance, did note that younger players were trying too hard to nail those big, rally-ending kills and inevitably, not executing.

“You can’t do that at Division I.  You can get away with that in high school, but not against a big block like that.  Those are lessons that come with maturity,” Sparks said.

Looking forward to their next game against Central Connecticut, the Bobcats are aware of what needs to be done and what they are capable of.

“If we can just fix those miscues and those unforced errors, we’ll be alright,” Sparks said.  “Hopefully, we’ll just come out and play like we can.”

Quinnipiac faces Central Connecticut tomorrow at 2 p.m. in Burt Kahn Court.