Box Score CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Belmont volleyball captured its third-straight victory Saturday afternoon at Eastern Illinois as the Bruins came back from being down two sets to one in order to clinch the match in five sets (11-25, 27-25, 25-19, 25-23, 15-11).
EIU (7-10, 1-3 OVC) raced out to the early advantage as the Panthers came out of the gates firing on all cylinders offensively.
After a kill by Emma Price (Fort Mill, S.C.) drew Belmont to within a pair, 9-7, EIU tallied eight of the next nine points to separate itself, 17-8.
The Panthers' offense stayed hot the rest of the way as the home team easily put away the Bruins for the 25-11 victory.
EIU hit .464 on the set, knocking down 13 kills off 28 attempts.
Belmont regrouped in the second set as the Bruins raced out to an early, 10-5, advantage.
EIU proceeded to go on a run to tie up the set at 15 as the Panthers recorded 10 of the next 15 points.
The set stayed close the rest of the way as neither team held a lead larger than three points.
With the set squared at 25, the Bruins captured the set off a kill from Jocelyn Youngdahl (Stillwater, Minn.) and an EIU hitting error in order to tie the match.
After intermission, the momentum swung back in EIU's favor as the Panthers outhit Belmont .265 to .103 on their way to taking the third set, 25-19.
The fourth set was a back and fourth affair throughout as the two teams traded several leads.
With the set knotted at 20 late, the Bruins seized the momentum by tallying five of the next eight points as a kill from Alex Martin (Ooltewah, Tenn.) gave the set to the Bruins, 25-20, and sent the match into a fifth and deciding set.
Freshman Brie Lewis (Stillwell, Kan.) delivered a big performance for Belmont in the final set as the Bruins jumped out to an early, 6-3, advantage off four early kills from the rookie outside hitter.
Three-straight points from EIU briefly tied up the set at 6, but BU tallied six of the next seven points in order to take a 12-7 advantage.
EIU drew to within two points late, 13-11, but another kill by Lewis and a Panther hitting error gave the set to Belmont, 15-11, as the Bruins prevailed on the match, 3-2.
Arianna Person led the Bruins as the freshman almost recorded another double-double with 11 kills and 8 digs.
Martin was the other Bruin to earn double digit kills on the contest as the senior finished with 10 off a .261 hitting percentage. The middle blocker also added 8 total blocks with 1 solo attack.
Lewis finished with 8 kills, five coming in the fifth set, as the rookie led the squad with a .500 hitting percentage on the afternoon.
Price once again turned in another double-double performance as the redshirt-freshman setter finished with 42 assists to go with 13 digs.
Libero Ellie Ivancich (Naperville, Ill.) paced the Bruins defensively with a match-best 22 digs.
Belmont (7-10, 3-1) returns to action next Friday as the Bruins travel to Tennessee Tech for a 7 p.m. CT match with the Golden Eagles.
