Box Score CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- After forcing the matchup into extra sets to be decided, the Belmont University Volleyball team was unable to pull off the upset in the first round of the OVC Tournament on Thursday evening. The fifth seeded Bruins (14-15, 9-7 OVC) fell to No. 4 Eastern Kentucky (13-18), 3-2, in a battle down to the wire in the fifth set.
After falling behind 2-0, the Bruins dug in their collective heels to build a strong rally in what could have been the third and final set. The Bruins used back-to-back kills by senior Brie Lewis (Stillwell, Kan.) and Arianna Person (Lenexa, Kan.) to knot the score early, 3-3. A reenergized Bruin squad forced two more ties before rolling off three consecutive points, thanks to a pair of kills by graduate student Jessica Vestal (Concord, Calif.) and a service ace from junior Haley Sullivan (Lemont, Ill.), to put BU ahead, 7-5. Belmont never relinquished the lead in the stanza despite being threatened. The Colonels surged behind a 4-0 run to close the gap to one point, 12-11, forcing Belmont to call timeout. However, Belmont regained control behind a 6-0 flurry to take a 20-13 lead. A 3-0 run closed the set and secured the 25-17 win.
The teams opened the fourth frame trading points before the Bruins jumped ahead, 11-8. The Bruins continued to roll, building on kills from Person and numerous unforced errors by the Colonels. A kill drilled into the center of the court by Vestal lifted BU to a four point lead, 18-14, and a frustrated EKU burned a timeout. After the brief break, Eastern Kentucky added a kill but Belmont fired back with a kill from junior Alexa Nichols (Walton, Ky.) and a resounding block from the duo of Person and Nichols, to put Belmont on top, 20-15. EKU called its final timeout of the set and quickly rallied to within two, 21-19. BU rolled to the 25-20 set victory behind back-to-back kills by Person, capped with a kill by junior Maggie Mullins (Nashville, Tenn.) down the left line.
The Colonels took an early 4-1 lead in the final frame and Belmont called timeout to regroup early. After the brief break, the Bruins came out on all cylinders. Kills from Person, combined with a block by Person and Lewis and a service ace by senior Emma Price (Fort Mill, S.C.) knotted the score, 5-5. The teams began trading points down the stretch before the Bruins used back-to-back kills by Person to take an 11-10 lead.
The Colonels burned their first timeout of the set but BU kept surging. A kill by Lewis and service ace by Price put Belmont ahead, 13-10. The Colonels added on two quick points to move within striking distance, 14-12, forcing the Bruins to call timeout. EKU came out of the break and continued its rally, eventually building it to 6-0 to topple the upset dreams of the Bruins and take the set, 16-14, en route to sealing the match win.
For the first time this season, five Bruins were in double digits in kills, led Person, who recorded a match-high 21. She was followed by Nichols with 14, Mullins and Lewis, who each added 11, with Vestal rounding out the group with 10 kills. Price notched 53 assists en route to picking up a double-double with 18 digs. Senior Ellie Ivancich (Naperville, Ill.) tallied a match-high 31 digs.
Belmont wraps its 2017 campaign with a 14-15 overall record.
