TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Behind big performances from Laura Shoopman and Brooke Gilleland, the Belmont University volleyball team snapped a ten-match losing streak with a convincing four-set win over Indiana State on the road in Terre Haute, Indiana, on Friday night.
 
Belmont (8-21, 4-12 MVC) bounced back from dropping the first set to defeat Indiana State (3-21, 2-14 MVC), 19-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-23.
 
Laura Shoopman led the way on offense, finishing with a match-high 21 kills on .255 hitting with 15 digs and three service aces. It marks the sixth time the junior outside hitter has eclipsed 20 kills this season, the most since Arianna Person in 2017.
 
Brooke Gilleland was outstanding on the opposite pin, chipping in a career-high 17 kills on a remarkable .343 attack percentage.

Peyton O'Brien orchestrated the Bruin offense with 50 assists, tied for her career-high.
 
Defensively, the Bruins were powered by Rachel McBride's 17 digs and zero reception errors, while Kristen Clemons assisted on five of Belmont's ten blocks on the evening.
 
Clemons also added eight kills, while Ally Peterson chipped in nine kills and a pair of blocks.
 
The win ensures Belmont is still alive for a potential spot at the MVC Tournament, which will take the top eight finishers in the regular season standings. After Friday night's action, the Bruins are tied with Illinois State for 10^th.
 
"We didn't play our best, which is frustrating, but at the same time we really battled and rallied and managed to come out with a win," head coach Katelyn Harrison said. "I thought Laura [Shoopman] played phenomenal and Kristen [Clemons] was struggling there throughout the match but I thought she did a nice job with her demeanor through that. Brooke [Gilleland] played great as well."
 
Indiana State got off to a quick start, rolling to a victory in the opening set behind a .538 hitting mark with 16 kills and only two errors.
 
From there, it was all Belmont, as the Bruins found their footing in the second set while heavily relying on Shoopman and Gilleland. The duo combined for 11 kills on 26 swings in the second frame, as the Bruins secured 20 kills in all to earn a 25-23 victory to even the match at one set apiece after 20 ties and 12 lead changes.
 
Belmont kept their foot on the gas in the third set, getting 11 more kills from Shoopman and Gilleland on 23 swings to stake themselves to a lead. With the Bruins adding four blocks and a pair of Shoopman service aces, the Bruins ended the set on a 9-3 run to win, 25-18.
 
The fourth set proved to be a rock fight, with both the Sycamores and Bruins hitting well below .150. Four kills from Peterson kept Belmont afloat, and a heavy dose of Shoopman down the stretch helped Belmont break a 20-20 tie in their favor as they clinched the match with a tight 25-23 win.
 
Belmont hit .233 for the match while Indiana State hit .235.
 
Last Word
 
"We worked on getting some different people active in different ways this week at practice, and I thought that we did a nice job of making changes when we needed to make changes, which we haven't necessarily done in the last couple matches. It's really nice to see that we're able to move some things around and come out on top." – head coach Katelyn Harrison
 
Up Next
 
Belmont will head a few hours south to Evansville, Indiana, to face the Evansville Purple Aces on Saturday at 5 p.m. inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
 
The Bruins took down Evansville, 3-2, in one of the best clashes of the season on Oct. 1 at the Curb Event Center.
 
The match will be streamed on ESPN3, and live in-game statistics will be available on BelmontBruins.com. In-game updates will be posted to Twitter by @BelmontVB.
 
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.