The Belmont volleyball team got off to a strong start in the 2014 Bruin Classic with a win in four sets against Wright State Friday night.
The win came down to the Bruins simply playing their style, said Belmont coach Tony Howell.
“We were very diverse and dynamic on the front row and played very good defense,” said Howell. “That’s one of the things that we’ve really worked on, not letting the other team dictate how we play. We’re really proud of the girls and how they hung in there.”
Arianna Person led the team in both kills and digs while Scarlet Gable and Brie Lewis tied for the team lead with four service aces each. Emma Price recorded 38 of the team’s 43 assists.
The first set was highly contested, but a run of six straight points, including three service aces by Gable, gave the Bruins a 12-5 lead. The Bruins would go on to win the set 25-17.
In the second set, Wright State turned things around and built an early lead as the Bruins were unable to catch up, losing the set 16-25.
The third set proved to be even more competitive as there were a total of eight ties between the two teams. A block by Person and Alex Martin to make the score 11-10 would end up swinging the momentum Belmont’s way as they went on to maintain their lead and win the set 25-17.
The two teams continued to play back-and-forth in the fourth set as Belmont built an early lead, but Wright State fought back and kept the score close. The Bruins would go on to win the set 25-22, closing out a very competitive match.
The Bruins tied a season high with 10 service aces over the course of the match, bringing their total for the season to 51. Gable leads the team with 15 aces on the year.
“Our philosophy from a serving standpoint is you go for the ace first,” said Howell. “We want to make sure we go for that point. We don’t want to play it out. We want that point right now.”
The Bruin Classic continues Saturday for Belmont when the Bruins play Northern Kentucky at 9:30 a.m. and Liberty at 6 p.m. in the Curb Event Center.