Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - The Belmont Bruin volleyball team got a
crucial and much-needed win over the Campbell Camels Friday night
in the Curb Event Center. With the win, the Bruins move to 3-2 in
conference play and 9-13 on the season.
The game had definite Atlantic Sun implications, with only one
win separating second and sixth place. Campbell came into the match
sitting in third place behind Kennesaw State and Lipscomb at 3-1.
Belmont entered the contest in sixth place in the conference with a
2-2 record. The win moves the Bruins, at least momentarily, into
fourth place in the conference. It was also the 10th
consecutive win over Campbell.
"I was just really, really pleased with how our team
handled first-ball contact," Head Coach Deane Webb said.
"We served and passed very well all night. I thought that was
a major difference in the game, just our ability to dictate what
was going to happen in the match on that first contact."
Belmont got another outstanding performance from senior Kayla
Albritton (Gainesville, Fla.) and a strong overall performance by
the team as a whole to power past Campbell. Albritton, ranked
23rd nationally in service aces, continued her solid
serving game against Campbell, scoring three aces on the night. It
was the fifth match in a row (every conference match this season)
that Albritton has recorded at least two aces. Tonight, though,
Albritton added even more offensive power with 20 kills to lead the
team in that category and a new career high with 17 digs for a
double-double. Freshman Jen Myer (New Braunfels, Texas) also
had a solid outing, with 8 kills and a .353 hitting percentage.
Myer and Albritton's success is especially notable
considering Belmont used a different alignment that put both
players in new positions tonight.
"Kayla, this was her first time to play on the outside in
three years," Webb said. "It was a little different
role for her. I thought she did a fantastic job on her first time
out doing that. Some of the errors she had tonight were errors from
not being used to that position yet, but she'll improve. Just
a great effort in the back row, getting 15 digs, I would imagine
that's near her career high. Then Jen, this was the first
time in her life she's ever played the right side, and she
went in and hit .350 and got 16 digs. Just really, really, a great
match for those two."
The Bruins also got contributions from their middle hitters,
providing the team with a very solid front line throughout the
match.
"The middles were very efficient tonight. Not a tremendous
number of swings, but took care of the ball. I think Al hitting
over .400 and Tara, I want to say her last three swings were all
kills. They did what we needed them to do out there. Just a great
overall effort and we're glad to get the win."
Earlier this season, Belmont struggled to close out matches
after going up two sets at the intermission, and for a while it
looked like that might happen again to the Bruins, who trailed in
set three 10-13 after jumping out to an early 10-5 lead. Belmont
was able to regroup, however, and avoid blowing a two set lead,
rallying to beat Campbell in what was a very close back and forth
third set.
"I think there was certainly a moment in set three where
it could have gotten away from us pretty quickly," Webb said.
"After being up 10-5 and then giving up an 8-0 run, there was
some concern out on the court. I was hoping not to use a timeout,
but I felt like I needed to at that point. I just really credit our
leaders, credit our upperclassmen for at that point just leading,
and just saying, 'Okay, we're going to be better than
this,' and making the decision to regain the momentum. We did
that and it really was a different match from there
forward."
The Bruins enter a bye-week this week and will have nearly two
weeks between matches. Belmont will look to use that time to heal,
rejuvenate, and refocus for the final stretch of matches for the
conference regular season.
"Over the weekend, it's a chance for our kids to
physically, mentally, and emotionally be refreshed and come back in
next week, really ready to push and go the rest of the way,"
Webb said. "Conference is a much shorter run this year, but
it still can be a very trying time for us if we're not
prepared for it. We'll come back ready to go. Seeing what we
had tonight gives us flexibility. It's good to see that and
it's good to have options in what we want to do as far as
lineups and still know that we have a way to be
successful."
The Bruins will take on Jacksonville at home in the Curb Event
Center on Oct. 29th. That match is set to start at 6:30
p.m. Belmont will then face North Florida in the final home game of
the season in a 2 p.m. match on Saturday, Oct. 30th.
