NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont University volleyball team (11-9, 8-1 MVC) earned its third consecutive victory Thursday night, defeating Murray State in four sets inside the Curb Event Center. The Bruins remained undefeated at home in Missouri Valley Conference play, securing their eighth league win of the season in their second meeting with the Racers.
Returning home after a three-match road stretch that included back-to-back wins at Murray State and Evansville, Belmont carried its momentum into Thursday's matchup, claiming the opening set before responding to a second-set loss with two straight victories to secure the match.
Belmont vs. Murray State (W, 3-1)
Belmont came out strong in the opening set, with Erin McMullen recording the first kill of the match before Madison Lansdown sparked an early serving run with an ace. Brenna Kauffeld added a powerful kill as the Bruins went on their first 6-0 scoring run of the night. Murray State attempted to cut into the deficit, but Belmont responded with another McMullen kill to make it 14-7, followed by a service ace from Mya Bolton. Sydnee Nelson continued the offensive momentum with a kill from the outside, while an Emily Warmenhoven block helped Belmont become the first team to reach 20 points with a 10-point advantage. McMullen continued to find success offensively, recording five kills while hitting .833 in the opening frame. Kauffeld delivered an ace to bring up set point before Lucy Kay closed out the set with a block, giving the Bruins a 25-14 victory.
Murray State responded in the second set, opening with an early run and finding success at the net with strong blocking and aggressive serving. Belmont worked to regain its rhythm, with Alivia Keegan delivering a dump and Kay adding a key block. Nelson helped fuel the rally from the service line, while Kauffeld delivered a kill to tie the frame at 14-14. The Racers answered with another strong serving stretch, however, and Belmont was unable to close the gap, falling 25-20 to even the match at one set apiece.
The Bruins responded with a dominant third set, opening with a 10-0 run behind a McMullen kill and block. A Lauren Evans ace pushed the Bruins ahead 15-5, while Keegan added a setter kill followed by a Kay slide kill to keep the offense rolling. McMullen continued to control the net with another kill and block late in the frame before Warmenhoven delivered the final kill to seal a 25-11 victory and put Belmont ahead 2-1.
The fourth set featured a tighter battle, with both teams trading points throughout the frame. Bolton and Evans provided strong defensive touches in the back row, while Keegan contributed key plays both at the net and defensively. Evans delivered back-to-back kills to push Belmont ahead 14-8, and the Bruins continued to find success through extended rallies and strong team hustle. Another Kay block helped Belmont reach 20 points first, but Murray State continued to battle, keeping the score close late in the set. Following an overturned call that gave the Bruins a 23-22 advantage, Nelson delivered a kill to bring up match point. A Murray State net violation sealed the fourth set, 25-23, and secured Belmont's third consecutive victory.
What's Bruin
- Erin McMullen led Belmont with 11 kills while hitting .348 and added six blocks.
- Brenna Kauffeld contributed 10 kills and nine digs.
- Lucy Kay had seven kills while hitting .375 and recorded a match-high seven blocks.
- Mya Bolton led the match with 15 digs while adding four assists and three aces.
- Jordan Czajkowski recorded a team-high 25 assists and added 10 digs.
- Alivia Keegan contributed 14 assists and five blocks.
- Belmont hit .469 in the opening set and .370 in the third set.
Up Next
Belmont returns to the road Sunday, Oct. 25, traveling to Normal, Illinois, to face Illinois State at 1 p.m. CT. Live stats will be available through GoBelmontBruins.com.
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