Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont volleyball (11-14, 7-4) defeated Austin Peay in four sets, 22-25, 25-21, 26-24, 25-16, Tuesday evening in the Curb Event Center.
"That's a really good win," said head coach Deane Webb. "We knew it would take a great effort to win tonight."
Belmont jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in the opening set. Both teams put together short runs exchanging points back and forth. The Bruins scored five unanswered points before the Lady Governors silenced their run with a 3-0 run to bring the set within two.
Austin Peay (13-14, 6-5) tied the set at 20-all and took a 24-20 lead before junior Allison McCoy (Huntington Beach, Calif.) silenced their run. The Lady Governors took the first set, 25-22.
The Lady Govs took an early lead of the second set but Belmont remained close. Behind kills from sophomore Scarlet Gable (Munford, Tenn.) the Bruins were able to tie the set at 10-all and 12-all. Behind kills from sophomore Alex Martin (Ooltewah, Tenn.) and Gable, Belmont took a three-point lead.
A 2-0 run gave the Bruins a 24-19 lead, but Austin Peay held off Belmont before McCoy ended the set 25-21, with the match tied at one-set each.
After the break, both teams battled back and forth, keeping the set close. Consecutive kills from junior Jen Myer (New Braunfels, Texas) and an attack error on Austin Peay, gave Belmont a two-point lead.
Myer sparked a run with four unanswered points before the Lady Governors answered with their own 3-0 run and bringing Austin Peay within one-point of the Bruins, 18-17. Belmont extended their lead off two APSU attack errors.
Belmont held off the Lady Governors, closing out the third set, 26-24, behind a kill from McCoy and block from Martin and Myer.
The third set saw the score tied 15 times.
The fourth set, the Bruins took an early 5-2 lead, but Austin Peay scored three consecutive points, to put the Lady Governors within one. Belmont responded by extending their lead by six points.
Belmont went on a 5-0 run, sparked by McCoy, to close out the set, 25-16 and win the match 3-1.
Myer led the Bruins with 21 kills and added eight digs. Junior setter Hannah Miranda (Covington, La.) dished out 50 assists. Gable led the defense with 18 digs while junior libero Jamie Lundstrom (La Grange, Ill.) added 17 digs.
"I think the kid that set the tone for the match early on was Scarlet, she just dug so many balls in the back row for us and just really flew around the court," said coach Webb. "I was very impressed with our team and Austin Peay tonight."
The Bruins will be back in action Thursday evening as the team hosts Murray State, with the first serve at 7:00 p.m.
