The Sacred Heart University women's volleyball team dropped a tough five-set match to Bryant University on Friday night at the Pitt Center. The Bulldogs (19-10, 9-2 NEC) rallied from behind with an 8-4 run to close the fifth and final set, to secure the 3-2. 

Redshirt junior Liisel Nelis had a game-high 23 kills to lead the Pioneers, who hit .089 for the match as a team. Senior Kiley Ridgway recorded a career-high 11 blocks to lead the Pioneers (13-9, 6-5 NEC). 

The Pioneers finished with 22.5 blocks as a team, a season-best, surpassing the total of 14 accomplished against URI and Central Connecticut State University in the team's first meeting.

The Pioneers return to action Saturday night, at 6 p.m., when they host CCSU. The match will be followed by a ceremony honoring the Pioneers senior class.

Set 1

• SHU built a 6-2 lead in the opening set before Bryant ripped off a 7-0 run to take a 9-6 lead, forcing a SHU timeout.
• SHU got back within 13-10 and then knotted things up at 15 following a block by Nelis and a Bryant attack error.
• Bryant scored six of the next nine point to build a 21-18 edge, forcing a SHU timeout.
• SHU got within 24-22 on a block by Ridgway and Murawinski, but a service error gave Bryant the first set 25-22.

SET 2

• SHU won a challenge to get within 3-2. SHU later tied it up at six before an attacking error put Bryant back up 7-6.
• Back-to-back blocks by Scioletti and Murawinski, then Ridgway and Murawinski tied it up 12-12.
• Following a service ace by SHU Alix Polk and an attack error on Bryant, SHU tied it up once more at 19.
• A triple block by Nelis, McNamee and Murawinski gave SHU a 20-19 lead, and forced Bryant timeout after an attack error made it 22-20.
• SHU finished off the set with a kill by Nelis and a Bryant attack error for a 25-21 win.

SET 3

• Nelis delivered back-to-back blocks to put SHU up 4-2 early in the third set, along with assists from McNamee and Murawinski.
• Tied 4-4, SHU won four out of five to go up 8-5, but Bryant answered with five out of six to go up 10-9, forcing a SHU timeout.
• SHU put together another 5-1 run to go up 14-11, forcing a Bryant timeout.
• Ridgway and Murawinski teamed up for big blocks on consecutive points to make it 21-14, extending the Pioneer run to 12-5.
• Megan Mondon ended delivered a set win for SHU with an ace for the 25-14 victory to put SHU up 2-1 in the match. SHU ended the set on a 16-5 run.

SET 4

• The two teams traded points, going back and forth until Bryant rattled off four in a row to take the 12-10 advantage, forcing a Pioneer timeout.
• McNamee and Nelis collected assisted blocks as part of a 4-0 run for SHU, giving them a 14-12 lead.
• Two consecutive blocks by Haley O'Brien tied it 14-14. That started a 6-2 run by Bryant that ended with a Bulldog service error with the score 18-17 in favor of the visitors.
• Nelis' ace tied it up at 18 and Ridgway followed with a solo block to get the lead back.
• The teams went back and forth once more until Bryant scored successive points to go up 23-21.
• Following the break, Nelis hammered home a kill after a long volley, then earned another kill after a SHU service error to pull SHU within 24-23. Bryant then took the set after an attack error on SHU at the net delivered the set to Bryant, forcing a decisive fifth set.

SET 5

• Nelis and Ridgway put the Pioneers up 3-1 on a block before Bryant drew even with two straight points.
• After Bryant tied it 4-4, the teams traded four straight points until it was tied 6-6. Sarah Ciszek had a kill and then a block from McNamee and Alix Polk put SHU up 8-6 at the turn.
• The Pioneers earned a point on an upheld Bryant challenge to go up 9-6, but Bryant turned out three points to knot it 9-9 as SHU called for a timeout.
• Murawinski knocked a kill just inside the sideline to break the Bryant run before a Bulldog attack error gave SHU an 11-9 edge.
• Bryant drew within one before a service error put SHU back up by two, 12-10.
• Bryant won a challenge, overturning an original out call, then tied it up 12-12 on blocks by Grace Richmeyer and Jenna Knight.
• The Bulldogs used a SHU hitting error to force match point up 14-13, but SHU knotted it up at 14 with a set error.
• SHU fended off defeat once again with a McNamee kill to retie it 15-15. SHU followed with its second straight service error and an attacking error, ending the set 17-15 in favor of Bryant.

By The Numbers

• Bryant hit .056 for the match, with a match-best .211 in the final set.
• Alix Polk had two aces for the Pioneers, who finished with six as a team.
• Three Bulldogs surpassed 22 digs, led by 28 from Erika Ward.
• Emma Smallcomb recorded 21 digs to pace the Pioneers, who had four in double digits in the category
• Nelis had 12 digs to finish with a double-double
• Kristin Led Bryant with 16 kills and added 23 digs, while Julia Flynn had 12 kills and 22 digs for Bulldog double-doubles