Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont opened the 2010 volleyball season
against Miami (OH) on Friday afternoon at the Curb Event Center.
The Bruins took the first set 25-18 and the second set 25-22 before
battling from a 1-7 deficit early in set three to tie the score at
15 all. Once tied, the third set went back and forth, with Belmont
taking the lead and Miami battling back to tie the set. The Bruins
went ahead for good at 21-19, going on to win the third set
25-22.
The victory was a true team effort, with nine different players
seeing playing time. Seniors Kayla
Albritton (Gainesville, Fla.) and Tara Blood
(Boise, Idaho) shared team-high honors in kills with 10 a piece
while Preseason All-Conference pick Maggie
Johnson (Junior, Naperville, Ill.) registered eight kills.
Three freshmen made their debut for the Bruins in the starting
line-up. Outside hitter Jen Myer (New
Braunfels, Texas), middle hitter Allison
McCoy (Huntington Beach, Calif.), and setter Hannah
Miranda (Covington, La.) all started for the Bruins. Myer
recorded six digs, second only to senior libero Megan
Clements for team-high honors, while Miranda led Belmont with
32 assists.
The Bruins used timely hitting and blocking to fight back from
behind in both sets two and three. Hustle plays by Clements turned
the tide in Belmont's favor in set three, after she earned her
second kill of the season on a diving play that sent the ball back
to the RedHawks at the 12-14 mark. Belmont would score and go on to
tie the game at 15 before taking their first lead of the game at
16-15. The last time Belmont won their home opener was 2008 in a
3-0 victory over Evansville. The Bruins are now 4-3 in the Belmont
Invitational and 9-12 in home non-conference tournaments. Belmont
also evened the series with Miami after falling to the RedHawks 0-3
in Miami in 2005. The Bruins start 1-0 for the first time since
2008 when they started the season 2-0.
Bruin Head Coach Deane Webb has now accumulated 298 wins and
needs only two more victories to reach 300. If the Bruins were to
sweep the Invitational, Webb would achieve that milestone this
weekend. Webb is already Belmont's all-time winningest volleyball
coach.
Belmont takes on Memphis in the second match tomorrow at 12:30
p.m. The Bruins will face Jacksonville State in the final match of
the 2010 Belmont Invitational at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Belmont Invitational Update: Jacksonville State defeated
Memphis, 3-1, in the tournament's second match. Miami (OH) and
Jacksonville State will face off in Saturday's first match at 10
a.m., followed by Belmont taking on Memphis at 12:30 p.m.
