Belmont at Valparaiso
Friday Oct. 17 | 6 p.m. CT
Athletics-Recreation Center | Valparaiso, Ind.
Belmont at UIC
Saturday Oct. 18 | 5 p.m. CT
Credit Union 1 Arena | Chicago, Ill.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont University Volleyball (13–4, 4–2 MVC) continues Missouri Valley Conference play on the road this weekend, beginning Friday night in Valparaiso, Indiana, against the Beacons at 6 p.m. CT inside the Athletics–Recreation Center.
The Bruins will then travel to Chicago, Illinois, for a Saturday evening matchup with UIC at 5 p.m. CT inside Credit Union 1 Arena.
Friday's match at Valparaiso will stream live on ESPN+.
What's Bruin
- Belmont enters the weekend 13-4 overall and 4-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play, earning league wins over Murray State, Evansville, Southern Illinois, and Indiana State.
- In the Bruins' win over Murray State, Lilly Lutz recorded her 1,000th career dig, while Brooke Gilleland reached 1,000 career kills.
- The Bruins opened the 2025 season with a 1–3 loss at Vanderbilt before bouncing back with home wins over Seton Hall and UT Martin.
- At the Belmont Invitational, Belmont went 3–0 with sweeps of Arkansas–Pine Bluff, Nicholls State, and Tennessee State, recording the program's first 15–0 consecutive-set streak since 2015.
- Brooke Gilleland was named Invitational MVP, while Lutz and Emily Warmenhoven earned All-Tournament Team honors.
- The Bruins stayed hot at the Clocktower Tournament, going 3–0 with five-set wins over Siena and Columbia and a sweep of Stonehill.
- Brenna Kauffeld earned MVP honors, with Gilleland and Lutz once again named to the All-Tournament Team.
- Gilleland leads the offense with 213 kills, including a career-high 27 against Siena. She was also recognized as Belmont's September Student-Athlete of the Month.
- Lutz anchors the defense with 257 digs, while setting duties are split between Jordan Czajkowski (341 assists) and Alivia Keegan (291 assists).
- From the service line, the Bruins have totaled 146 aces compared to opponents' 73, led by Gilleland with 38.
- As a team, Belmont is hitting .263 while holding opponents to a .189 average.
- The Bruins are led by first-year head coach Fritz Rosenberg and are competing in their fourth season in the Missouri Valley Conference after finishing 11–19 overall and 6–12 in league play last year.
- Program history includes four NCAA Tournament appearances (2006, 2008, 2012, 2015) and signature wins over Mississippi State, Marquette, Virginia Tech, UCF, West Virginia, Boston College, Syracuse, DePaul, and UConn.
About The Beacons
- Valparaiso enters the weekend 14–5 overall and 5–1 in MVC play.
- Senior libero Emma Hickey leads the Beacons with 377 digs and has been named MVC Defensive Player of the Week three times this season (Sept. 1, Sept. 29, and Oct. 6).
- Sophomore middle hitter Lilly Merk earned MVC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 15.
- Sophomore middle hitter Jessica Pickett, named MVC Player of the Week on Sept. 29, leads the team with 74 blocks.
- Sophomore right side Ava Helming, the most recent MVC Player of the Week (Oct. 13), leads Valpo with 239 kills.
- The Beacons are led by Head Coach Carin Avery, now in her 24th season and the winningest coach in Valparaiso Athletics history.
- Valparaiso finished 18–14 overall and 9–9 in MVC play in 2024.
About The Flames
- UIC enters the weekend 9–7 overall and 3–3 in MVC play.
- Freshman middle blocker Ana Petrides was named MVC Freshman of the Week on Sept. 8.
- Senior middle blocker Julieta Sandez, honored as MVC Player of the Week on Sept. 22, leads the team with 56 blocks.
- Senior outside hitter Cleo Lorenzo paces the Flames' attack with 142 kills, while junior libero Hannah Howard leads the back row with 146 digs.
- UIC is led by Head Coach Justin Ingram, now in his ninth season with the program, after finishing 23–10 overall and 13–5 in MVC play last year.
Follow Along
Stream Match at Valparaiso Live at ESPN+
Live stats are available at BelmontBruins.com
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 Belmont athletic programs via the official Belmont Bruins app, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
