Volleyball Embarks on Final Regular Season Road Trip

Belmont (7-21, 3-12 MVC) vs. Indiana State (3-20, 2-13 MVC) 

Friday, November 11 | 5 p.m. CT 

ESPN3 | Live Stats | Match Notes 

ISU Arena | Terre Haute, Indiana 

Belmont vs. Evansville (11-18, 8-7 MVC) 

Saturday, November 12 | 5 p.m. CT 

ESPN3 | Live Stats 

Meeks Family Fieldhouse | Evansville, Indiana 

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Taking to the road for the final time in the regular season, the Belmont University volleyball team heads to the Hoosier State this weekend for two important matchups against Indiana State and Evansville. 

Currently in 11th place in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Bruins still have a pathway towards a spot in the MVC Tournament, which will take the top eight finishers in the regular season standings. 

Belmont faces off against Indiana State at ISU Arena in Terre Haute, Indiana, on Friday night before traveling south to Evansville to clash with the Purple Aces at Meeks Family Fieldhouse on Saturday evening. 

Both matches will be streamed on ESPN3. Live in-game statistics will be available on BelmontBruins.com, and in-game highlights will be posted to Twitter by @BelmontVB. 

What's Bruin 

• The Bruins are still alive for a top-eight finish in the MVC regular season standings and a spot at the MVC Tournament. Belmont needs to win each of their three remaining matches and will need some help from around the conference in order to secure a postseason berth. 

• This weekend, Belmont will be looking to snap a ten-match losing streak, their longest such stretch of the season 

• Belmont's best stretch of the season came with a three-match conference winning streak that included victories over Evansville on September 30 and Indiana State on October 1, both at the Curb Event Center 

• Last weekend against Valparaiso, junior libero Rachel McBride became the first Bruin since Ellie Ivancich in 2017 to reach 1,000 career digs 

• McBride, a product of Decatur, Indiana, is one of 12 active players in the MVC with at least 1,000 career digs 

• Junior middle blocker Kristen Clemons leads all middle blockers in the MVC in kills (281) 

• With junior outside hitter Laura Shoopman owning 348 kills, Clemons needs 19 more kills this season to ensure the dynamic duo become the first Bruin teammates with at least 300 kills each since Arianna Person and Brie Lewis accomplished the feat in 2015 

• Shoopman ranks seventh in the Valley in total kills (348) 

• Freshman outside hitter Brooke Gilleland has had a breakthrough debut season, collecting 192 kills, the most for a Belmont freshman since Taylor Floyd in 2018 

• In their last meeting on October 1, Belmont swept Indiana State inside the Curb Event Center, 25-20, 25-20, 25-21 

• On her birthday, Kristen Clemons recorded a season-high 17 kills while hitting .500 en route to a Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week nod, the first conference player of the week honor since Arianna Person earned Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week in 2017 

• The Bruins tallied eight service aces in the victory, with three coming from Laura Shoopman 

• In their last meeting on September 30, Belmont upset Evansville in Nashville, 25-21, 25-27, 26-24, 24-26, 15-10, for one of the most thrilling wins of the season 

• Kristen Clemons finished with 16 kills, Lauren Walsh with 15 kills, and Brooke Gilleland with 11 kills in the victory 

• Peyton O'Brien dished out 43 assists and collected 17 digs, Laura Shoopman recorded 23 digs, and Rachel McBride chipped in 21 digs 

About the Sycamores 

• Indiana State enters Friday night on a ten-match losing streak, tied with Belmont for the longest active streak in the conference 

• Two of the Sycamores' three wins this season have come at ISU Arena 

• Indiana State libero Melina Tedrow ranks 12th all-time in MVC history in digs (2,057) 

• The Sycamores are second in the conference in blocks per set (2.23) and second in digs per set (16.82), and boast five double-digit block matches in conference play 

• Friday's match will be the first-ever meeting between the Sycamores and Bruins in Terre Haute. The two programs have played twice previously, with Indiana State winning in four sets in 2021 and Belmont sweeping the first contest earlier this season 

About the Purple Aces 

• Evansville enters the weekend having won three of their last four matches, and have clinched a spot in the MVC Tournament 

• The Purple Aces have also clinched their first winning conference road record since 2000, going 5-4 in nine MVC road matches in 2022 

• Middle blocker Madisyn Steele is on pace to smash the Purple Ace single-season record for hitting percentage (.351) 

• Evansville outside hitter Alondra Vazquez ranks fourth all-time in MVC history in kills (1,813) 

• Vazquez recorded 24 kills and 16 digs the last time the two teams met on September 30 

• Saturday marks the 14th all-time meeting between Evansville and Belmont. The Purple Aces lead, 7-6 

Follow Belmont volleyball on social media - @BelmontVB on Twitter and @belmontvball on Instagram - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.                       

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