NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont University volleyball team (5-1, 0-0 MVC) capped off a dominant weekend at the Belmont Invitational with a sweep of Tennessee State (1-5, 0-0 OVC) on Saturday evening inside the Curb Event Center. The Bruins went a perfect 3-0 across the tournament, defeating Arkansas–Pine Bluff, Nicholls State, and Tennessee State without dropping a set.
vs Tennessee State (25-9, 25-16, 25-16)
The Bruins came out firing in set one, opening with an ace from Jordan Czajkowski and two more from Brooke Gilleland to build an early lead. Brenna Kauffeld added a block and a kill to push the advantage to 9-2 as Belmont's serving and ball control set the tone. Back-to-back kills from Teagan Brandsma closed out a dominant 25-9 opening win.
Tennessee State responded with more resistance in the second set, keeping the score close before Belmont pulled ahead at 15-11. Bella Mathis sparked the offense with a tip kill, followed by a swing from Gilleland to extend the lead. The Bruins' defense continued to shine with key digs in long rallies before finishing the frame 25-16.
Belmont's depth and energy carried into the third. Kills from Lucy Kay, Mathis, and Gilleland gave the Bruins a 9-6 edge, while an ace from Mathis pushed the lead to 19-14. Gilleland sealed the match with a kill on match point, as the Bruins secured the 25-16 win and completed a clean sweep of the weekend.
Tournament Honors
Senior outside hitter Brooke Gilleland was named Most Valuable Player of the Belmont Invitational after totaling 31 kills across the three matches and serving as a key piece of the Bruins' balanced offensive attack. Gilleland also earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team, joined by teammates Lilly Lutz and Emily Warmenhoven, who each made major contributions throughout the weekend. Lutz anchored the back row with consistent passing and aggressive serving, while Warmenhoven provided timely kills to help power Belmont's perfect run.
Up Next
Belmont heads to Loudonville, New York, for the Siena Invitational, beginning September 12 against Siena at 10 a.m. CT inside the UHY Center. The Bruins will also face Columbia on September 13 at 8:30 a.m. CT and Stonehill later that morning at 11 a.m. CT. The Siena match will stream live on ESPN+.
Follow Belmont volleyball on social media - @BelmontVB on Twitter, @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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