Box Score RICHMOND, Ky. -- Pushed to battle into a fifth set for the first time this season, Belmont Volleyball (1-7, 1-7 OVC) rose to the challenge and notched its first win of the season. The Bruins rallied to knock off Eastern Kentucky (2-6, 2-6 OVC), 3-2.
The contest was a back and forth battle from the start after the Colonels were able to take the first contest the day before, 3-0. Belmont rallied from the start and grabbed the lead after five point stalemates. Lifted by a 5-0 run, the Bruins pulled ahead 19-16, despite a timeout called by the home team in the midst. EKU was able to claw to within one point, 22-21 , but BU rolled through the waning points for the 25-21 win. The second stanza had to be decided in extra points as Belmont remained hot. By the media break. the visitors were leading by two, 15-13. Belmont then used a 4-0 run to expand the point differential. EKU was able to knot the score 23-23 and went on to take the set, 26-24.
The third frame would be all BU. With senior Halee Van Poppel (Argyle, Texas) serving, the Bruins rolled off six-straight points to take an early 7-1 lead. The home team could get no closer than six points at any time during the set. Belmont used back-to-back kills from senior Mackenzie LePage (Franklin, Tenn.) to seal the 25-15 victory. The back and fourth battle resumed in the fourth stanza. This time it would be Eastern Kentucky that would use a 5-0 run to pull ahead, 13-8. Belmont was unable to get closer than five points down the stretch as the Colonels outpaced 5-2 in the waning points to win 25-16.
EKU jumped out to a 6-3 lead early in the fifth frame before the Bruins scratched their way back in. A pair of kills from junior Taylor Floyd (Louisville, Ky.) moved BU to within striking distance, 12-11. The back and forth intensified as the visirots were able to knot the score at 14-14. Each bench furiously burned through timeouts, attempting to strategize with victory drawing near for both. However, it would be Belmont, using a 3-0 run, including back-to-back kills by freshman Kristen Clemons (Louisville, Ky.), that would hand the 3-2 win over to BU.
Floyd finished with a match-high 24 kills, hitting a blistering .622 over the five sets, followed by Van Poppel, who tallied 18 kills. The team was led in assists by junior Carly Mason (Forsyth, Ill.) and freshman Izzy Schauer (Watertown, Wisc.), who posted 27 and 26, respectively. Freshman Rachel McBride (Decatur, Ind.) logged a match-high 30 digs. Freshman Sydney Willis (Franklin, Tenn.) notched a match-high six block assists in her first start of the season.
BU returns to the friendly confines of the Curb Event Center this week, hosting Jacksonville State, March 7 and 8. Live stats will be available for both matches. Monday afternoon's contest can be seen live on ESPN+. Fans may also follow the team's Twitter account (@BelmontVB) for live, in-match updates.
