Volleyball Sweeps UMass Dartmouth, 3-0

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University volleyball team posted a 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-16) victory over visiting UMass Dartmouth on Thursday evening at the Tinsley Center.

The host Bears improve to 7-6 on the season with the win, while the Corsairs slip to 4-6.

Bridgewater State easily had its best attacking match of the season as the Bears recorded a .308 hitting percentage with 42 kills and a only nine attacking errors.  Sophomore outside hitter Hannah Maymon (Narragansett, R.I.) led the way with 14 kills and 13 digs, while freshman middle hitter Christina Jaros (Plymouth, Mass.) and junior middle hitter Julie Hutchins (Bellingham, Mass.) added ten and nine kills, respectively.

Senior right side Sarah Mullarkey (Salem, Mass.) chipped in with 16 digs, four kills and a pair of aces for the Bears, while sophomore setter Charleyne Panner (Gilford, N.H.) recorded 35 assists and 19 digs

Junior outside hitter Jasmine Burris (New Bedford, Mass.) led the way for UMass Dartmouth as she finished with ten kills and seven digs.  Sophomore setter Christina Spinazola (Medway, Mass.) filled the stat sheet with 26 assists, three kills, six digs and an ace, while junior outside hitter Eliza Bowes (West Yarmouth, Mass.) added nine kills and three aces.

Bridgewater overcame an 8-1 deficit in the opening game to rally for the 25-21 win.  Ten of the Bears' final 14 points came off the attack with Maymon and Jaros notching three kills apiece during that span.

Game two was also closely contested.  With the score knotted at 21-21, a serving error followed by a Hutchins kill put the Bears up by two.  A kill and an ace by Bowes tied things up at 23-23, before Mullarkey reclaimed the lead for Brirdgewater with a scoring attack of her own.  Maymon then wrapped up the game with a kill to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.

The Bears led from start to finish in game three and were never seriously threatened as they coasted to the 25-16 victory and a sweep of the match.

Bridgewater finished with 78 digs and limited the Corsairs to a .144 hitting percentage. The Bears struggled at times on the serve committing seven errors including four in the first game alone. 

Both teams will be competing in tri-matches on Saturday.  The Bears travel to Norwich University to take on the host Cadets as well as Husson University.  The Corsairs head to Western Connecticut State University for a Little Conference match with the host Colonials and a non-conference match against The College of New Rochelle.