Bruins Open Missouri Valley Play with Murray State and Indiana State

Belmont vs. Murray State 
Thursday, Sept. 25 | 6 p.m. CT 
Curb Event Center | Nashville Tenn.  

Belmont at. Indiana State 
Saturday, Sept. 27 | 4 p.m. CT 
Hulman Center | Terre Haute, Ind. 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont University volleyball opens Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend, beginning with a home matchup against Murray State on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. CT inside the Curb Event Center. The Bruins will then travel to Terre Haute, Indiana, to face Indiana State on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 4 p.m. CT.

Saturday's match against the Sycamores will stream live on ESPN+.

What's Bruin

• Belmont's 9-2 record marks the best start to a season for the Bruins since 2006.
• The team opened the 2025 season with a 1-3 loss at Vanderbilt, then bounced back with back-to-back home wins over Seton Hall and UT Martin. 
• At the Belmont Invitational, the Bruins 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 Lilly Lutz and Emily Warmenhoven also earned All-Tournament Team honors. 
• Belmont 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 at the tournament, and both Gilleland and Lutz were again named to the All-Tournament Team. 
• Gilleland leads the offense with 145 kills and posted a career-high 27 kills against Siena. She was also recognized as Belmont's September Student-Athlete of the Month. 
• Lutz anchors the defense with 168 digs, while setting duties are split between Jordan Czajkowski (226 assists) and Alivia Keegan (175 assists). 
• From the service line, the Bruins have totaled 97 aces compared to opponents' 48, led by Gilleland with 21 and Czajkowski with 15. 
• As a team, Belmont is hitting .266 while holding opponents to a .167 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. 

About the Racers

• Murray State enters the weekend with a 2-7 record, owning wins against Austin Peay and Western Illinois. 
• Senior outside hitter Ella Vogel leads the Racers with 109 kills. 
• Setting is distributed between freshman Katie Titus with 172 assists and junior Paige Brock with 117. 
• Freshman libero Halle Forester paces the defense with 82 digs. 
• Head coach David Schwepker is in his 27th season leading the program. 
• The Racers finished last season 14-14 overall and 9-9 in MVC play. 

About the Sycamores

• Indiana State holds a 6-6 record with wins over Eastern Illinois, Butler, and SIUE, as well as a three-match sweep at the Tiger Invitational hosted by Tennessee State.
• Junior outside hitter Kira Holland leads the Sycamores with 180 kills and was named Indiana State's Student-Athlete of the Week on September 22. 
• Freshman outside hitter Ava Robart has tallied 143 kills and was recognized as MVC Freshman of the Week on September 22. 
• Freshman setter Hadley Hardersen earned MVC Freshman of the Week honors earlier this season on September 1. 
• Sophomore libero Chloe Gilley directs the defense with a team-best 150 digs.
• The Sycamores are coached by Ashlee Pritchard, who is in her third season. 
• Indiana State ended last season 5-25 overall record and 2-16 in MVC play.

Follow Along

Saturday's match at Indiana State will be streamed Live on ESPN+ 
Follow 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.