Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont (1-0) opened the 2011 season with a convincing 3-0 win over Murray State (0-1) in the second match of the fourth annual Belmont Invitational. The Bruins turned in 45 kills as a team and held the Racers to .093 hitting percentage as they took set one, 25-19, set two 25-11, and the final set 25-19. Belmont will start the second day of their Invitational with a match up against regional power Western Kentucky at 12:30 p.m. in the Curb Event Center.
A huge crowd was on hand to cheer on the Bruins, with over 400 fans filling the arena. It was one of the largest non-Lipscomb crowds to come out to a volleyball match, and Belmont put on a great show both offensively and defensively as they opened the season with a win. Head Coach Deane Webb was pleased with his young team's effort and energy in the opener.
"I liked our energy," Webb said. "I liked our effort out there. Our team speed this year is different than what it has been in the past. I think it was apparent to everyone in the gym that we have the ability to fly around the court and make plays. Fifty-four digs in a three set match is a nice total for us. Jamie just did an outstanding job in the back row running down lots of balls. Scarlet in her first college game had nine digs. I'm seeing four different people with nine or more digs per game, that's a great start. I just love our energy and we had a nice variety of offensive attacks that made our opponent a little off balance. It was good start for our team."
Atlantic Sun Preseason Player of the Year Maggie Johnson paced the Bruins with 17 kills, while sophomore setter Hannah Miranda led the team with 38 assists and added three service aces. Sophomore Allison McCoy led the Bruins with four block assists while sophomore libero Jamie Lundstrom posted a team-high 15 digs. Offensively, Belmont came out very aggressive and used its team energy to knock Murray State off balance.
"What I really liked about tonight is that our errors were aggressive errors," Webb said. "We were aggressive throughout and they were just good aggressive errors. It is not that we want to make a lot of errors, but there are good misses and there are bad misses and for the most part tonight they were good misses. It was kids who were just a little too excited and overran balls and things like that, but that's wonderful. I love that they were aggressive. We talk about that all the time in our gym and I like that they were excited."
The Bruins will need a similar aggressive attack in Saturday's first match against WKU. Belmont is 0-12 all-time against the Lady Toppers, a streak they will look to end tomorrow. In order for that to happen, the Bruins will need to play well. With one win under their belt, the team will enjoy the victory tonight, while shifting focus to a very strong Western Kentucky team.
"I'm excited for them to enjoy this (win) after the preseason that they've put in," Webb said. "It's a great start and I know that we'll have a great test tomorrow. Western (Kentucky) is a great team and one of my favorite matches every year. It is a testament to their program that it's just good volleyball. Every time we play them we know we have to play well to win. Win or lose, every time we play Western I feel like it is a good experience and we got better by playing them."
In addition to the strong offensive performance, Belmont also posted impressive numbers on defense. The Bruins recorded 54 team digs, 10 block assists, and held Murray State to under .100 (.093) in hitting percentage. Webb credits his coaching staff and his team with their defensive efforts.
"Jeff Wismer, our assistant coach, is our defensive coordinator and certainly would give credit to him and his training," Webb said. "We changed to a different blocking system a year ago and there's a lot of growing pains with that, and we are still learning and still growing and are excited about what our potential can be as a blocking team and as a defensive team. Certainly holding any opponent to under .100 is a great night and was good to see. I think as each player gets more and more comfortable in our defensive system we'll be in position a little more often. We made great recovery plays and great athletic plays tonight, but we could be a little more in system and a little more in control, and we'll work to improve that."
In the first match of the Belmont Invitational, Western Kentucky defeated Sacramento State in straight sets. The Invitational begins Saturday at 10 a.m. with Murray State and Sacramento State, while Belmont and Western Kentucky conclude the morning session with a 12:30 p.m. match. In the afternoon session, Western Kentucky will face Murray State at 3:30 p.m. and Belmont will conclude the tournament against Sacramento State at 6 p.m.
