by David F.P. [Modest 2008 CCSU Volleyball Image Gallery]

New Britain, CT (November 5^th, 2008)- The Bulldogs from Bryant traveled down from RI to take on Central at home. The Blue Devils were coming off a victory over FDU and looking to pick up another.

Set 1

After a fairly even start to the set, Central pulled out to a 18-10 lead. Amanda Olmstead opened things up with a smash, Sara DeLacey’s tap from the net was the second point, Kaitlin Petrella had a good defensive save which Lauren Snyder immediately followed with a save of her own, some Bryant errors also contributed, Amanda Bayer had a block, she also had a great save later on. She unleashed a big time spike as well, and either her or Tori Vaughan had a block as well. More Bryant errors are what put Central out in front by a bunch, Bayer and Vaughan combined on a block, following a miscue, Bayer saved a play which later allowed Olmstead to blast the ball over for a point, Olmstead had a wicked cross court smash, and a Blue Devil hit a ball from the front line to the defense’s left for another point.A good dig by Snyder set up an eventual point. DeLacey came up with a point when her attack landed just in bounds, and it was Bayer yet again with a diving save where the ball then flew up and a teammate slammed it over for another kill.A ball flew off a Central block and Jamie Baumert spiked it in. Olmstead’s serve flew off a Bryant dig attempt and out of bounds for the 18^th point.

Bryant’s points came from Maria Scocca’s blast to the defense’s left corner, Hilary Andrews and Scocca’s combined block, a tip over by Scocca, Jazmin Stoner smashing a spike off the blockers to the floor in front, a good save by Maureen Atkins later set up a Julie Geonnotti kill, Stoner hammered a massive spike, Central had a few errors, Delia Glover had a good dig though Central eventually ended up with a point, Andrews had a kill from midcourt, and combined again with Scocca on a block.

With the score 18-10 Bryant called a time out and Central’s attack error put another pint on the board for them, but Baumert received a set and brought a furious spike down on the visitors, following that with an ace as she served.Two BU points would follow though, before the Bulldogs attacked out of bounds.Olmstead then sent a heater through the defense to the corner. Another point for Central followed, Stoner responded with a kill which ricocheted of the block attempt and out of bounds, and Central attacked out of bounds after that.Vaughan’s spike bounced off the defenders’ though and another Blue Devil point would end the set 25-15.

The second set also opened with an even exchange at first but Central pounded their way to a 17-6 lead. Bryant’s points had come up off a big kill through the defense, some central errors, a spike by Geonnotti, and a light hit by Morgan Wood to the corner were responsible for more of their offense, but there was a lot of home team points. Olmstead started out her second straight set with a kill, she also tapped the ball to a gap in the defense, as well as combined on a block with Baumert.She also picked up another huge spike, though she was hardly the only scorer as Snyder blocked an overpass quickly in for a point, and Baumert spiked cross court.DeLacey tapped in a point after Bayer set the ball to her.On a long rally that Bryant eventually run Glover had a good save, and Olmstead had a good dig, as well as two good saves from Bayer one in which she had to dive to keep a ball in play after another good save by Petrella.Some Bryant errors also added to the scoring, Olmstead and Vaughan put together a block, the Blue Devils benefited from another Bryant attack error, and Snyder’s serve flew through the defense to the corner or an Ace. Olmstead and Vaughan blocked the ball to a gap and Vaughan went solo to stuff an attack.She then had a titanic spike of a Bayer set.Olmstead then spiked the ball off the opposing block and out of bounds. Bryant finally got another point and then kept going with Scocca blocking her way to a point and Glover’s serve bouncing off a Blue Devil for an Ace.Following a good dig by her teammate Glover, Andrews had a big spike.Another Glover good dig eventually set up another Andrews spike as well and it was 17-11 and Central called a time out.

Olmstead stopped the Bryant come back with a tap over the net, and Baumert’s line shot flew straight and in for another kill.Monika Sattler responded with a blast through the block, and Andrews had a kill from the net, followed by a bunch of great saves by Glover ad Atkins before Scocca and Geonnotti’s block.A Central attack error made the score 19-15 and what had seemed like a quick set was now becoming a much more tenuous affair. Bryant scored again on a spike from the net and Scocca punched the ball through the D to put the visitors within 2. CCSU not surprisingly called a time out and also not surprisingly Olmstead came out of the time out with a spike, though Scocca whapped the ball over for a bouncing kill off a Central player to keep the deficit at 2. Olmstead responded with a big spike and a Bryant attack into the antenna extended the lead to 4, 22-18. Baumert then hammered an attack in, Snyder and Baumert stuffed a Bryant spike attempt, and Olmstead’s Ace bouncing off the defense ended the set 25-18.

Set 3 opened with Bryant pulling out to a 8-12 lead. Central’s points came through 3 straight Bryant errors, Baumert’s kill just in bounds, another Baumert spike off the block and outside the lines, a Bryant serve out of bounds, a serve into the net, and a Vaughan spike just in bounds.The Bulldogs had opened the set with two straight aces from Glover, a Central error put them up by 3, Scocca had another spike off the blockers, Stoner had a good dig and Glover a good save on a rally that Central eventually capitalized on. Scocca picked up another point spiking from the net.Stoner had a kill, and later a massive spike as well. Andrews also came up with a smash. Central errors and a Scocca tip over the net lead to the 12^th point. Central scored off a Bryant error but Scocca and Andrews’s block kept the lead at 3, only to have two errors put the home team back within 1.

Geonnotti’s kill extended the lead, and a pair of attacks out of bounds by each team respectively advanced the score but didn’t change the lead. Bryant served into the net, and Snyder came up with a kill off the blockers to tie things up 15-15. Stoner responded with a punch spike through the blue and white’s line, but the visitors attacked out of bounds twice in a row to put the home team up, only to have both teams serve into the net and Andrews killed the ball at the net.Baumert responded with a smash, but Andrews had a huge blast of her own to tie thins at 19.Central then attacked out of bounds twice and Bryant had a two point lead. CCSU called at time out and a large rally ensued including good saves by Olmstead and Glover before Baumert and DeLacey’s big block.Bryant returned fire with a tap over kill and they were within 3 of the set win, only to surrender a point of a two hit error.Snyder then slammed the ball over, off a Bulldog and into the seats and the score was tied again 22-22.

Scocca then took advantage of a Central overpass where a dig flew over the net and she returned it hard for a point. Stoner then came up with a big spike to the corner and it was 22-24 Bryant, and the Blue Devils called a timeout.Snyder opened play up with a kill which hit a blocker and dropped in front of them. On the ensuing rally she set the ball to where the defense wasn’t and the score was tied. Bryant called a time out to regroup by Vaughan whacked the ball to a corner to take the lead, but a Bryant tip tied it up and a Central lift error put Bryant at set point.Snyder spiked off a block to tie it up by Sattler kept up the pressure with a tap over to a corner.Olmstead’s mega smash tied it again, but Wood ad a kill of her own.Olmstead received a set and found a gap to rocket the ball into. On the next rally Bayer provided the set and she blasted it in.At set point it was Snyder who sent the attack over only to have Bryant return it out of bounds for the final Central point and the win 30-28. Central 3, Bryant 0.