JACKSONVILLE, Ala.— Belmont volleyball (10-14, 6-4) swept Jacksonville State, 25-18, 26-24, 25-14 Saturday afternoon on the road. This is the second time this season Belmont has swept the Gamecocks.
"Our team played very well overall today," said head coach Deane Webb. "Hannah in particular did a good job keeping our offense balanced and putting hitter in the position to score."
Belmont got on the board first, before Jacksonville State (11-13, 5-5) took control of the set and jumped out to a 5-2 lead until a kill from junior Jen Myer (New Braunfels, Texas) silenced their run. The Bruins put together a 4-0 run to bring the set within one-point. A kill from freshman Jocelyn Youngdahl (Stillwater, Minn.) sparked four unanswered points, giving Belmont a 13-9 lead.
The Bruins took a 23-15 lead before the Gamecocks went on a short run to bring the set within five points, but a kill from Youngdahl closed the set, 25-18.
"Aggressive serving by our team put Jacksonville State in some challenging situations offensively," said Webb. "Our team often responded with defensive plays that put us immediately in system and able to counterattack with multiple options."
Jacksonville State jumped out an early 3-0 lead over the Bruins in the second set. Both teams put together short runs, keeping the set close, but with the Gamecocks maintaining their lead. Behind kills from sophomore Alex Martin (Ooltewah, Tenn.) and Scarlet Gable (Munford, Tenn.) the set was tied at 14 and a service ace from Myer, gave Belmont a 15-14 lead.
Gable sparked a 4-0 run for the Bruins, taking a 19-15 lead. Despite a six-point deficit, Jacksonville State came back late in the second set, bringing the score to 23-20, before Youngdahl silenced their run.
The Gamecocks went on to score four unanswered points and tie the set at 24 apiece. A JSU error and a kill from Myer closed out the set, 26-24; with the Bruins taking a 2-0 lead into the break.
After the break, Belmont took control and an 8-2 lead. The Bruins continued to put together runs to extend their lead. The Gamecocks scored three unanswered points to come within nine points, before Myer silenced their run.
Belmont went on a 4-0 run to take a 24-12 lead, before JSU silenced their run with their own 2-0 run. Behind a kill from Martin, Belmont took the win, 25-14. The Bruins held Jacksonville State to a .125 hitting percentage in the third set.
Myer recorded 12 kills, while Martin and Youngdahl added 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Junior libero Jamie Lundstrom (La Grange, Ill.) paced the defense with 22 digs and Myer added 15. Junior setter Hannah Miranda (Covington, La.) tallied 45 assists.
Belmont returns home to the Curb Event Center Tuesday, October 23 for a matchup with Austin Peay.
"We know we have an important match coming up very quickly, as our match with Austin Peay on Tuesday is against a team we are tied with in the OVC standings. Austin Peay has earned several impressive wins this season, and we'll need to play well in all phases of the game to earn the win," said Webb.
Tuesday's match is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
