SMITHFIELD, R.I. – In their first meeting since the 2021 Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship Match, Sacred Heart University women's volleyball and Bryant went to five sets in non-conference play tonight, with the Bulldogs coming out on top in a thrilling bout in Smithfield, R.I. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 8-11
Bryant: 15-9
 
Top Performers:
Gaby Zovko: 27 assists, 8 digs, 7 blocks, 6 kills, 3 aces
Camryn Luginbuhl: 16 kills, 3 digs, .262 hitting percentage
Hunter Coppola: 7 digs, 5 kills
Cristina Montanez: 6 blocks, 5 kills, .455 hitting percentage
 
How It Happened:
Bryant opened the match on an 8-2 run in the first 10 points to take an early lead. The two teams then began to trade points until the Pios cut the deficit to five, 14-9. Unfortunately for SHU, the Bulldogs went on a 9-1 run to build a commanding lead. Bryant took a 1-0 advantage by sealing a 25-11 victory in the first. 

Bryant took an early advantage for the second consecutive set in the second, 9-4. The Pios had an answer this time, cutting the deficit to one, 12-11, over the following 10 points to force a Bulldogs' timeout. SHU continued to put the pressure on with a pair of 3-0 runs to go ahead by four, 19-15. The Pioneers held on to this lead for the remainder of the set, evening the match with a 25-23 victory. 

The Bulldogs continued to take leads early in sets, as they went up 9-4 at the start of the third frame. SHU and Bryant then began to trade points, as the margin remained between four and seven points. The Bulldogs put the finishing touches on a 25-17 win with a 3-0 run to take a 2-1 advantage in the match. 

For the first time tonight, the Pioneers took the early lead in a set, starting the fourth on a 7-2 run to force a home team timeout. The Bulldogs then began to eat away at SHU's lead until Bryant found themselves ahead by 17-14. However, the Pios were not deterred as they put together a 6-2 run to take a 20-19 lead. After Bryant tied the match at 20-all, Sacred Heart slammed the door shut with a 4-0 surge, winning the set 25-21 to force a fifth. 

Unfortunately for the Pioneers, their undefeated record in five-set matches this season ended tonight, as the Bulldogs took the frame 15-5. The fifth started tied at 2-2, but an 8-0 run by the home team sealed the Pios' fate. 

Individually, Camryn Luginbuhl led the way for SHU with 16 kills, three shy of tying her season high. Gaby Zovko also tallied a stellar evening with 27 assists, eight digs, seven blocks and six kills. Hunter Coppola and Cristina Montanez posted similar stat lines, as both had five kills, while Coppola added seven digs and Montanez recorded six blocks. 

Up Next:
The Pioneers return to NEC action on Friday, Oct. 20, with a 5 p.m. match against FDU. Friday's bout will serve as SHU's annual Dig Pink match.