Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After dropping the first two sets Belmont volleyball (5-9, 2-1 OVC) battled back to take the match to five, but dropped the match to crosstown rival Tennessee State (6-9, 1-2 OVC) in five sets, 16-25, 27-29, 25-15, 25-16 and 15-17. Freshman Tori Simmons (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) had a phenomenal night with 10 kills and no errors for an average of .435.
Belmont was plagued by errors in set one and was unable to recover from it. The Bruins and the Lady Tigers battled point-for-point to start set one. Belmont and Tennessee State were tied at 12, until the Lady Tigers put together a 13-4 run taking set on 25-16. Senior Jocelyn Youngdahl (Stillwater, Minn.) went two for three on attacks with no errors for an average of .667.
Tennessee State took an early four-point lead in set two going up 6-2. A big block by Youngdahl and sophomore Emma Price (Fort Mill, SC) along with an ace from sophomore Ellie Ivancich (Naperville, Ill.) brought Belmont within two 9-11. With the score at 10-14 Belmont strung together a 5-1 run highlighted by a solo block and three huge kills from redshirt freshman Alexa Nichols (Walton, Ky.) that tied the set at 15. A kill from Youngdahl gave Belmont the first lead, 18-17, since the beginning of the set. Belmont went up 24-21, but Tennessee State roped together four straight points to take a 25-24 lead. A huge kill from sophomore Brie Lewis (Stillwell, Kan.) tied the match back up at 25. The teams played tug-of-war for points until two kills from the Lady Tigers gave Tennessee State a 2-0 set lead.
The tables turned in set three as Belmont took control of the match. After hitting negative the first two sets Belmont amped up their offense hitting .367 recording 12 kills and only one error. Belmont and Tennessee State battled back and forth for points as well as the lead in set three. The match was tied at 11 when three kills from Nichols, and a kill from Price, a huge block from Nichols and Lewis and an ace from sophomore Arianna Person (Lenexa, Kan.) gave the Bruins an 18-13 lead. A block by Youngdahl and Simmons followed by two hitting errors from Tennessee State and Belmont took set three 25-15.
Bruins fired at an average of .484 in set four with 18 kills and only three errors. Belmont jumped on the points early in set four taking a 7-4 lead. A winning joust at the net from Price put Belmont in double digits first 10-6. A pair of kills from both Simmons and Youngdahl gave Belmont a 20-12 advantage. With a trio of kills from Person and an ace from Price Belmont took set four 25-16.
Bruins and the Lady tigers traded points back and forth until a big block from Nichols and Lewis put Belmont up 6-4. A massive kill from Lewis gave Belmont the 8-7 lead at the switching of sides. The two teams battled for points the rest of set five, and with them locked at 15 the match would once again go into extra points. Tennessee state would finish the match with a block taking home set five 17-15.
Person led the team with a double-double of 15 digs and 16 kills. Sophomore Emily Richards (Penfield, N.Y.) would finish the night with 15 digs. Nichols recorded 12 kills and 6 total blocks while Price closed at the night with 53 assists and five kills. Lewis and Youngdahl rounded out the offense with nine kills apiece.
Belmont returns to the Curb Event Center on Saturday, Oct. 3 against Eastern Illinois at 2:00 p.m. for another OVC showdown.
