Volleyball Earns Third Straight Win
Belmont volleyball earned its third straight win, defeating the Murray State Racers 3-1 at home Thursday night.
In a four-set match against a then-1-7 Murray State, the Bruins improved to 8-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference and remained undefeated at home in conference play.
“It was a hard-fought win, but we’ve been working really tirelessly this whole week,” said senior Brenna Kauffeld. “It feels really good to come out with a win, especially against our rival.
The Bruins started strong, with the first point of the first set coming from a kill by freshman Sydnee Nelson. The Racers had a quick answer, however, tying the set with a kill from Alexa Watts.
Belmont grew its lead to 7-1 until an early Murray State timeout, after which the Racers chipped the Bruins’ lead down to two.
However, the Bruins came back and dominated the rest of the first set, winning 25-14.
In the second set, Murray State came out strong, taking a 4-0 lead.
The Bruins tied the Racers at 14-14, but were unable to take the lead, losing 25-20 in set two.
“We just work so hard throughout the week, and that we know we’re capable of more than when we do have a set loss,” said Kauffeld.
Set three got off to a better start for the Bruins, when a kill from junior Lucy Kay gave Belmont a nine-point lead after an unsuccessful coach’s challenge from Murray State.
A successful challenge from head coach Fritz Rosenberg gave Belmont a 22-9 lead, crediting Nelson with the kill.
The Bruins dominated the rest of the set, winning 25-11.
The start to set four was a back-and-forth battle until kills from senior Emily Warmenhoven and Keegan allowed Belmont to pull away.
However, the Racers stayed in the game, keeping the Bruins’ lead at no larger than four.
A coach’s challenge from Murray State cut Belmont’s lead down to one at 23-22, calling a net violation on what would have been a kill from sophomore Erin McMullen.
A second coach’s challenge came shortly after. This time, Rosenberg unsuccessfully challenged an out-of-bounds call on Belmont, keeping the score at 24-23.
The Bruins solidified their victory from there, taking the set 25-23 with Nelson’s kill giving them the match point.
McMullen led the Bruins in kills with 11, while Kay led the team in blocks with seven.
“I don’t care what it looks like or how many sets it takes,” Rosenberg said. “If we get the win, that’s our ultimate goal.”
The Bruins head to Normal, Illinois on Sunday to face the 6-2 Illinois State Redbirds.
This article was written by Rachel Suggs
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