Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Belmont University Volleyball beat back a fiesty Morehead State on Friday evening to open the Ohio Valley conference portion of its schedule in the Curb Event Center. The Bruins (6-6, 1-0 OVC) notched just their second three-set victory of the season, knocking off the Eagles (9-5, 0-1 OVC), 3-0.
After the teams felt each other out over the first few points, Belmont surged and used a 5-0 run, capped with a service ace by senior Emily Richards (Penfield, N.Y.) to take a 15-14 lead in the opening set. The Eagles were able to knot the score 18-18 before BU began to pull ahead down the stretch. Morehead State knotted the set again, this time at 22-22 but kills by senior Arianna Person (Lenexa, Kan.) and freshman Mackenzie LePage (Franklin, Tenn.) sealed the set, 25-23.
BU carried its surging momentum into the second frame, rolling off the first three points of the set unanswered. The teams slipped into a back and forth battle before the Bruins pulled away again by the midpoint of the set. Senior Ellie Ivancich (Naperville, Ill.) unleashed a flurry of service aces to put Belmont ahead, 13-7, and forced the Eagles to burn a timeout. However, with the significant advantage, the Bruins did not look back. Morehead State was only able to inch to within six, 22-16, before Belmont powered through to take the set, 25-17.
Morehead State got an early jump on BU to start the third stanza, taking a 7-2 lead behind a 5-0 run. BU used a timeout to regroup and quickly took it right back to the Eagles. Belmont used its own 7-2 rally to grab the lead, 17-12, putting MSU on its heels. Even after a timeout, Morehead State seemed unable to find an answer for the streaking Bruins. The Eagles would only be allowed to close the gap to five points, 20-15, as Belmont saw its point tally increase, thanks to kills coming from senior Brie Lewis (Stillwell, Kan.), LePage, and service aces from junior Haley Sullivan (Lemont, Ill.). MSU made one final push to force an extra set, using a 5-0 run to make it a one-point set, 23-22. However, the Bruins kept their wits about them with match point in sight and used a kill junior Alexa Nichols (Walton, Ky.) to reach the edge of victory. A service ace by Lewis, her lone one of the night, sealed the 26-24 set win.
Graduate student Jessica Vestal (Concord, Calif.) led all attackers with 12 kills, one shy of her season best, while Lewis notched 10 kills in the win. Freshman Akia Warrior (Fort Worth, Texas) finished with a match and career-high 36 assists. Senior Ellie Ivancich (Naperville, Ill.) set a new career high with a whopping five service aces. Ivancich and Richards each recorded nine digs.
Belmont returns to action on Saturday afternoon in the Curb Event Center. The Bruins host Eastern Kentucky for the finale of Alumni weekend with first serve set for 2 p.m. The match can be seen live on the OVC Digital Network and live stats will be available. Fans may also follow the team's Twitter account (@BelmontVB) for live, in-game updates.
