Box Score MURRAY, Ky. -- Belmont University Volleyball, the defending OVC Tournament champion, was unable to sustain a late rally in the opening round of the 2016 OVC Tournament. The No. 4 Bruins (16-12) were upended, 3-1, by fifth-seeded Eastern Kentucky (15-14) on Thursday.
The opening frame was an intense back and forth battle early with neither team conceding more than a two-point differential for any stretch of time. Eastern Kentucky grabbed four consecutive points to go up, 10-8, but the Bruins rallied to make it one-point set, 12-11. The Colonels put together another run and pulled away, 17-13. EKU maintained its four-point advantage down the stretch until Belmont narrowed the gap to one point, 24-23, with a kill by redshirt sophomore Alexa Nichols (Walton, Ky.). Eastern Kentucky called timeout to strategize for the final point and went on to take the set, 25-23.
The Bruins started strong in set two behind huge kills by sophomore Tori Simmons (Murfreesboro, Tenn.). However, the Colonels rallied and went up by as many as three, 8-5. BU continued to push back but looked for relief in a timeout when it was down, 10-6. Eastern Kentucky expanded its lead to as many as eight points, 16-8, before Belmont began attempting to claw back into the set. After calling a pair of timeouts, the Bruins began rallying through the midpoint of the set. Unfortunately, it was short lived as EKU capitalized on several attack errors by Belmont, taking the set, 25-16.
BU came out swinging in the third set, battling early to force six ties. Kills by junior Arianna Person (Lenexa, Kan.) lifted the Bruins to an 11-9 lead that saw the Colonels quickly call timeout. The set would be tied five more times before the Bruins used a block by Simmons and Nichols with kills by the same pair to go up, 20-18. Eastern Kentucky stormed back and knotted the score at both 23 and 24 before taking a one-point lead. However, the Bruins' comeback effort would not be denied. Belmont had to push to 30 points for the first time this season to take a set, 30-28. It also marked the first time this season the Bruins came back from a two-set deficit to win the next one.
Eastern Kentucky took an early leap ahead at the top of set four but the Bruins dug in and tied the score, 8-8, with junior Emily Richards (Penfield, N.Y.) behind the service line. The Colonels rolled off four straight points, forcing BU to call timeout. After the brief break, a kill by Nichols and a block by freshman Hannah Hickman (The Woodlands, Texas) and Person tied the set at 15. The teams fell into a strong back and forth battle. Belmont went up 18-16 and a stunned Colonel bench called timeout. EKU quickly rallied and used six consecutive points to take a 22-18 lead. Kills by junior Brie Lewis (Stillwell, Kan.) and Simmons inched the Bruins to within three points, 23-20. BU was able to add one more point but could not hold off Eastern Kentucky, who took the set, 25-21.
A trio of Bruins reached double digits in kills, led by Person's 13. Nichols added 12 and Simmons finished with 10 kills. Price wrapped the night with a double-double, thanks to 41 assists and 19 digs. Simmons also recorded her first double-double of the season with 11 digs. Person collected 16 digs for a double-double while junior Ellie Ivancich (Naperville, Ill.) grabbed a match-high 20 digs. Nichols also had a match-high six block assists and one solo block.
Belmont finishes the 2016 campaign with a 16-12 record overall with a fourth consecutive appearance in the OVC Tournament.
