DURHAM, N.C.- The Bryant University women’s volleyball team concluded its participation in the Duke Tournament on Sunday with a 3-0 sweep at the hands of Houston, marking the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
The Bulldogs battled throughout the match, but ultimately fell to the Cougars with set scores of 25-21, 25-18. This loss concludes Bryant’s non-conference road trip and marks the first time the program has faced a team from the Big 12 Conference. The result impacts Bryant’s early-season record as they prepare to return to Rhode Island for a home tournament.
Houston established early control in the second set, securing a 25-21 victory. The third set saw Bryant demonstrate resilience, initially trailing 7-4 before responding with kills from Ruth Ochelli and an ace by arianna Ugolini to close the gap to 7-6. later, a kill from Ana Fuertes-Brito brought the Bulldogs within one again at 11-10. however, a 7-1 run by Houston extended their lead to 18-11. Bryant mounted a late rally with consecutive kills from London Hunt, Fuertes-Brito, and Ugolini, narrowing the deficit to 20-15, but Houston ultimately closed out the set and the match. Madison Koeller recorded a service ace late in the set.
Several Bulldogs contributed key plays during the match. Ruth Ochelli, Arianna Ugolini, ana Fuertes-Brito (with two kills), and London Hunt each recorded kills. madison Koeller added a service ace. Melis Isik now has 20 career games with double-digit assists.Bryant will next compete in the Ocean State Cup, hosted by Providence College, beginning Friday, September 5th, with a 7:00 PM match against Brown.
