FRANKLIN, Mass. – The visiting Bridgewater State University volleyball team posted a 3-0 victory over Dean College on Tuesday evening at Pieri Gymnasium.

The Bears, who won by set scores of 25-17, 27-25 and 25-18, improve to 4-2 on the season with their third straight win, while the Bulldogs fall to 2-9.

Freshman right side hitter Meaghan Coutu (Brookline, N.H.) paced Bridgewater State with a match-best 11 kills and an impressive .529 hitting percentage, while senior right side Becca Whalen (Plymouth, Mass.) notched nine kills (.400 hit%) and four digs. Senior setter Savannah Quintal (Assonet, Mass.) filled the stat sheet with 19 assists, two aces, two kills, and seven digs. Junior libero Victoria Caiano (Acushnet, Mass.) added nine digs, seven assists and two aces for the Bears, while junior setter Bethany Votta (Cumberland, R.I.) checked in with 11 assists, seven digs and one ace.

The Bears posted a .278 hitting percentage on the evening, while limiting the Bulldogs to a .118 hitting percentage. Each team finished with seven aces.

Junior setter Bella Driscoll (Plymouth, Mass.) led the way for Dean with 19 assists, nine digs and a pair of assisted blocks. Freshman middle hitter Caitlin Cooper (Amherst, N.H.) contributed seven kills and three blocks (two solo) for the Bulldogs while posting a .385 hitting percentage.

The visitors took an 8-3 lead in the first and never looked back. Dean pulled within three at 12-9 after a Hope Laiter (Riverside, R.I.) ace, but a 5-1 run by the Bears put the margin at a comfortable distance. A Coutu kill ended the frame in favor of the Bears, 25-17. BSU hit .462 with 14 kills.

The second set was hard fought by both teams with ten ties and three lead changes. Dean took a 22-17 lead with a Skylar Raskevitz (Easthampton, Mass.) ace. BSU responded with a 7-1 run to take a 24-23 advantage. The teams traded the next four points before another Coutu kill clinched the set for the Bears, 27-25.

The Bears carried the momentum to begin the third set with an 8-3 lead. Dean battled back with a 6-1 run to knot the score at 9-9. BSU held a slim 13-12 lead before a 7-1 spurt created separation en route to the 25-18 victory. 

Bridgewater State returns home on Thursday to host Gordon at 6 p.m. Dean will have a quick turnaround as the team welcomes Massachusetts Maritime to Franklin on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m.