Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn.— Belmont volleyball (13-14, 9-4) defeated Eastern Kentucky (9-16, 5-8) in four sets Friday night in the Curb Event Center.
"It was an important win for us this evening," said head coach Deane Webb. "It probably wasn't our best volleyball at times, it got a little sloppy. The first set we played pretty well and after that we were just ok. It was good to see the team respond and get tough mentally late in the fourth set and earn the win"
Belmont got on the board first scoring two unanswered points. The opening set remained close; until the Bruins took a 14-8 lead behind a 5-0 run sparked by junior setter Hannah Miranda (Covington, La.). Eastern Kentucky responded with a short run, but it was silenced by the Bruins, as they took the first set, 25-15.
Belmont, who hit .224 in the opening set, held the Colonels to a .062 hitting percentage.
The Colonels answered first in the second set and the two teams exchanged points. Behind a run from sophomore Scarlet Gable (Munford, Tenn.) the Bruins scored seven unanswered points to take an 11-5 lead.
Eastern Kentucky put together several runs, but the Bruins continued to extend their lead. Behind two service aces from Junior Jen Myer (New Braunfels, Texas) Belmont extended their lead, 22-14.
The Colonels overcame an eight-point deficit as they scored eight consecutive points to tie the set at 22-all, before taking 23-22 lead. The set was tied three times before Belmont took a 2-0 lead at the break, winning the second set, 27-25.
After the break, Eastern Kentucky jumped out to an 8-3 lead. Myer scored back-to-back service aces to bring the Bruins within three points, 9-6. The Colonels extended their lead, 17-10 before the Bruins started to close the gap.
Behind kills from Gable and freshman Jocelyn Youngdahl (Stillwater, Minn.), Belmont came within four-points, 19-15. Eastern Kentucky took the third set, 25-18.
Belmont took a 3-0 lead in the fourth set, before the Colonels took a 5-4 lead. The two teams exchanged points back-and-forth, tying the set six times before the Bruins took a 21-19 lead.
The Bruins closed out the set, 25-20 behind a kill from Miranda.
Myer and Gable each recorded 13 kills for the Bruins. Miranda dished out 44 assists, while junior libero Jamie Lundstrom (La Grange, Ill.) paced the defense with 28 digs.
Belmont will return to the Curb Event Center tomorrow afternoon for its final home game of the season against Morehead State. The match is slated for 2:00 p.m.
