Belmont volleyball finished the Belmont/TSU tournament with a 2-1 record after sweeping the competition Saturday.
The Bruins were looking to bounce back after going 1-2 in the Terrier Invite in Spartanburg, South Carolina the week before.
This time, the Bruins played in Nashville, with matches taking place at Belmont and Tennessee State universities.
At the Curb Event Center Friday night, Belmont fell to the University of California San Diego in a competitive five-set match.
The first set featured back-and-forth rallies between the Bruins and the Tritons.
Belmont seemed to gain the upper hand with a 20-18 lead following a kill from senior Ally Peterson.
But UCSD took control towards the end, winning the set 26-24.
The Tritons refused to let go of that momentum, dominating the second set for a 25-14 win.
However, the Bruins fought back to secure the third set, giving the Tritons all they could handle.
In the fourth set, the Bruins took a 15-10 lead following a 4-0 run and never surrendered it, winning the set 25-17 off an ace from senior Laura Shoopman and a kill from senior Sydney Willis.
Belmont’s momentum seemed to carry over to the fifth set as the Bruins took a quick 4-1 lead.
But the Tritons found new life on offense and secured the last set 15-10, winning the match.
Saturday was the Bruins’ chance at redemption against Jacksonville State University.
The Bruins started out hot with Peterson rattling off four kills to give the Bruins a 5-0 lead.
They continued the pressure securing the first set, but Jackson State fired back, tying the second set at 21.
The Bruins finished off the set 25-23.
A pair of kills from Peterson and Kauffeld ended the Jackson State match 3 sets to 0.
The Bruins next opponent was local rival Tennessee State University on Saturday night.
The Bruins had intense rallies tying the first set at 18, but the Tigers clawed back for a 26-24 win.
The second set continued the back-and-forth affair with Belmont ultimately winning after a pair of kills from Shoopman and sophomore Emily Warmenhoven.
Taking a 6-0 lead early in the third set, Belmont found the burst of energy it needed to take and maintain the lead.
The rest of the sets were tight with Belmont coming out on top 3-1.
Kauffeld and Willis were named to the Belmont/TSU Tournament All-Tournament Team.
Kauffeld finished the tournament with 36 kills while Willis finished with 23 kills and 12 blocks.
The Bruins will look to carry that momentum to Tuesday when they travel to rival Lipscomb University for the heated “Battle of the Boulevard.”
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This article was written by Austin Kruljac
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