Belmont at Drake
Wednesday Nov. 19 | 6 p.m. CT
Knapp Center | Des Moines, Iowa
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont University volleyball team (17–10, 8–8 MVC) enters the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament as the No. 6 seed and will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to face No. 3 seed Drake on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT inside the Knapp Center.
The Bruins, making their first MVC Tournament appearance since joining the league, look to break through against a Bulldogs squad they are 0–5 against all-time. A win would send Belmont to the semifinal round to face No. 2 seed Valparaiso.
The match will stream live on ESPN+.
What's Bruin
- Belmont enters the weekend 17–10 overall and 8–8 in Missouri Valley Conference play, securing the No. 6 seed for the program's second MVC Tournament appearance.
- The Bruins own MVC wins over Murray State, Evansville, Southern Illinois, Indiana State, and Valparaiso, continuing to build momentum heading into tournament play.
- Brooke Gilleland leads the offense with 345 kills, including a career-high 27 at Siena (Sept. 2025), and was named TSWA Volleyball Player of the Week (Nov. 11).
- Brenna Kauffeld follows with 232 kills and earned MVC Player of the Week honors (Nov. 17).
- Lilly Lutz anchors the back row with 434 digs, highlighted by a career-best 34 against Valparaiso.
- Setting duties are split between Jordan Czajkowski (629 assists) and Alivia Keegan (443 assists). Czajkowski was named MVC Freshman of the Week (Nov. 10).
- At the net, Erin McMullen leads the team with 86 blocks and received MVC Freshman of the Week honors (Nov. 17).
- In Belmont's win over Murray State, Lutz reached 1,000 career digs, while Gilleland surpassed 1,000 career kills.
- Gilleland was named Belmont Invitational MVP, with Lutz and Emily Warmenhoven earning All-Tournament Team recognition.
- Kauffeld was named Clocktower Invitational MVP, joined by Gilleland and Lutz on the All-Tournament Team.
- From the service line, Belmont has totaled 198 aces compared to opponents' 135, led by Gilleland with 52. Gilleland ranks first in the MVC for service aces.
- The Bruins are hitting .258, leading the MVC in hitting percentage and holding opponents to a .210 attack percentage.
- Belmont is led by first-year head coach Fritz Rosenberg and is competing in its fourth season in the MVC after finishing 11–19 (6–12 MVC) in 2024–25.
- 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.
- The Bruins are 0-5 against Drake.
About the Bulldogs
- Drake enters the weekend 16–11 overall and 12–4 in MVC play, riding a three-match win streak and positioned as the No. 3 seed in the MVC Tournament.
- Senior Macy Daufeldt leads the attack with 371 kills and adds 339 digs, ranking 2nd in the MVC in kills and 9th in digs.
- Caroline Smith, named MVC Freshman of the Week (Nov. 3), has totaled 194 kills and 54 blocks this season.
- Sophomore Bliss Beck anchors the front line with a team-high 113 blocks.
- Graduate student Kacia Brown was named MVC Player of the Week (Sept. 8).
- The Bulldogs are led by 13th-year head coach Darrin McBroom after finishing 20–10 overall (16–2 MVC) and placing second in the league last season.
Follow Along
Stream the match 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.
