Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Going into the 2014 season, Belmont volleyball head coach Tony Howell knew there would be new faces to add to the puzzle for his Bruin team.
Those new pieces came together Saturday evening at the Curb Event Center and led the Bruins to their first win of the season as Belmont outlasted Evansville in five sets (25-23, 20-25, 15-25, 25-18, 15-12).
Belmont jumped out to the early advantage in the match as the Bruins captured an extremely close opening set that was filled filled with several lead changes and back-and-forth play.
With the score knotted at 22, a pair of hitting errors proved costly for the Purple Aces as the Bruins outscored Evansville 3-1 to go on for the close, 25-23, victory.
Evansville responded in the following two sets as the Purple Aces withstood a late Belmont rally in order to capture the second set, 25-20, and handled the Bruins in the third set, 25-15, to take control of the match.
With their backs against the wall, a young Bruin squad came together in the fourth set as the Bruins jumped out to a quick, 16-8, advantage on their way to a commanding, 25-18, victory to force a deciding fifth set.
Hitting proved to be the difference for the Bruins in the set as Belmont's hitters came alive notching 18 kills with a .325 hitting percentage.
The fifth set started much like previous four as the two teams took turns trading blows.
With the score tied at 7 at the midpoint mark, BU's freshmen rose to the occasion as kills from true freshmen Ellie Ivancich (Naperville, Ill.) and Arianna Person (Lenexa, Kan.) and redshirt freshman Emma Price (Fort Mill, S.C.) helped seal the deal for the Bruins as Belmont went on to capture the match with a 15-12 victory.
Person was instrumental throughout the come-from-behind victory as the outside hitter put together her first double-double performance of her career, notching 14 kills and 13 digs.
The rookie and sophomore Jessica Vestal (Concord, Calif.) both recorded a match-best three service aces for the Bruins.
Price made a substantial impact on the match with her passing as the setter finished with a team-high 35 assists while Ivancich made her impact on the defensive end, leading the Bruins with 21 digs.
Two other Bruins finished with double figure kills as freshman Brie Lewis (Stillwell, Kan.) almost had a double-double of her own with 10 kills and nine digs while junior Jocelyn Youngdahl (Stillwater, Minn.) had an impressive hitting percentage of .350 with 10 kills on 20 total attacks in addition to assisting with five blocks.
A trio of players posted double-doubles for Evansville (0-3) as senior Ashley Ring had 11 kills to go along with 16 digs, freshman Grace Carter had 39 assists and 15 digs and freshman Genesis Miranda had 10 kills and 14 digs for the Purple Aces.
Person and senior Scarlet Gable (Munford, Tenn.) were honored as part of the 2014 Belmont Invitational All-Tournament Team.
Belmont (1-2) will return to action this Tuesday as the Bruins hit the road for the first time in 2014 with a match at Western Kentucky Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m. CT.
