Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Not even a record breaking performance could help Belmont Volleyball pick up a win in its final road match of the regular season on Tuesday night. The Bruins (12-13, 7-6 OVC) were held off by crosstown rival Tennessee State (7-20, 3-10 OVC), 3-0.
It marked the first time since 2015 that TSU had defeated Belmont in three sets.
Belmont jumped out to a 5-2 lead before the Tigers stormed back to take the lead, 8-7. Tennessee State kept piling on the points and pulled ahead of the Bruins, who called timeout trailing, 13-9, hoping to recalculate. BU came out of the brief break and saw kills from junior Alexa Nichols (Walton, Ky.), and senior Arianna Person (Lenexa, Kan.) and Brie Lewis (Stillwell, Kan.) that narrowed the gap to two, 17-15. However, the Tigers used a 3-0 run to put Belmont back on its heels, forced to call its final timeout of the frame, trailing, 20-15. BU attempted to rally late, again closing the point differential to two, 22-20, building on a 3-0 run. This time it would be the Tigers to call timeout. However, the crosstown rival came out swinging after the break in the action and was able to capitalize on costly late errors by BU to take the set, 25-20.
The second stanza opened in favor of Tennessee State to the tune of a 5-1 run. Belmont slowly clawed back into the set and trimmed it to a three-point differential, 10-7, behind kills by graduate student Jessica Vestal (Concord, Calif.), Lewis and Person combined with unforced TSU errors. The Bruins called a timeout, trailing 16-11, to regroup but it only slowed the Tigers briefly. After closing the gap to three points, 19-16, following back-to-back kills by Person, BU saw its momentum fade behind a 4-1 run by Tennessee State. The flurry put the Tigers up by six, 23-17. Belmont battled back as TSU stood at set point, rallying behind back-to-back kills by Lewis and a service ace by Person. However, Tennessee State was able to regain composure and pick up the 25-22 win.
After the intermission, Belmont again started hot, taking an early 5-2 lead. However, the Tigers bounced back and rolled off a 9-1 run to take an 11-6 lead. Over the next two possessions, BU only eked out one point and burned its first timeout of the set, trailing 13-7. The Bruins were able to build on TSU errors to narrow the score to 15-12 and stayed close through the midpoint. However, Tennessee State began to pick up steam once again and expanded its lead to as many as six, 20-14. Even after burning its final timeout, BU could find few answers to the streaking Tigers. Kills by freshman Halee Van Poppel (Argyle, Texas) and Person only prolonged the inevitable as TSU stood at match point. Tennessee State called a timeout as BU threatened again but held on for the 25-21 win.
Person led all attackers with 11 kills. Her tally lifted her to No. 1 in all-time kills at Belmont. Classmate Emma Price (Fort Mill, S.C.) added a match-high 26 assists while senior Ellie Ivancich (Naperville, Ill.) finished with 10 digs. Lewis wrapped the night with four block assists while Nichols logged the team's lone solo block of the night.
Belmont returns to action on Saturday at the Curb Event Center. The Bruins host Eastern Illinois beginning at 2 p.m. Live stats will be available and the match can be seen live on the OVC Digital Network. Fans may also follow the team's Twitter account (@BelmontVB) for live, in-game updates.
