The Bruins volleyball team overcame a late rally by John Wesley University as the team won their fifth straight match with a 3-2 victory on Thursday night at the Davis Field House (25-16, 25-15, 29-31, 23-25, 15-8). "It's was great match for us," coach Vickie Denny said. "We need to be pushed. We need to see if we can grow as a team."

The two teams had met earlier in the 2016 season with the Bruins winning in straight sets 3-0 in High Point, North Carolina. But the Lions weren't about to be shutout again as they took the court in front of the Bruin faithful. 

In the first set of the match, both teams were even as neither could gain a sizable lead. Laura Gaston went back to serve and provided a spark for the Bruins as she served six in a row to help the team build a 11-5 lead. From there, the Bruins relayed on the combo of Rachel Tubbs and Kendra Jeffcott as the pair combined for several kills throughout the match. The Lions made a late run, but the Bruins held the lead for the rest of the set and won 25-16.

In the second set the Bruins started off strong again. With a two-point lead Gaston again provided a serving spark as she served seven over the net to stretch the Bruins lead. The team continued to communicate well on the court and didn't let the Lions come close to stealing the lead. The Bruins momentum was in full swing as they won the second set 25-15.

Sensing the sweep, the Lions came roaring out in the third set as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead. The Bruins fought their way back into the set as Erin Jarvis serves and Kendra Jeffcott kills allowed the Bruins to take the lead 10-7. But the Lions again came storming back to take the lead as both teams traded possession and points. The ending of match three was intense as both teams struggled to put together two points for a win. The Bruins reached match point several times, but couldn't close the Lions out as JWU took the 31-29 win.

With the momentum, the Lions came out with a lot of confidence in set four. Kirstin Christmas provided a good serving streak while Kendra Jeffcott continued her impressive play at the net to give the Bruins a four-point lead. The Bruins kept their lead for much of the set, but couldn't get a run of serves together. This allowed the Lions to slowly creep back to take the lead 16-15. The score continued to stay close if not tied for the rest of the game, and again the Lions were able to get the points when it mattered most as they forced a 5th and final set with a 25-23 win.

The Bruins regrouped and came out looking to keep their winning streak intact. In the first play of the fifth set, Kirstin Christmas slammed the ball for a kill putting the Bruins on the board 1-0 and injecting the team with renewed vigor. The Lions were back on their heels and the Bruins took advantage as Erin Jarvis went back to serve. She helped the Bruins string together good offensive play to build a 12-6 lead. The team continued to ride the momentum and finished off the Lions with a 15-8 win to edge the Lions 3-2 in the match.

Kendra Jeffcott led the team with 22 kills and 5 blocks on the night while Rachel Tubbs had 57 assists. Kirstin Christmas had a great defensive game ending the night with 31 digs. With the win, the Bruins improve to 20-8 on the season. The team will play in back to back matches on Friday night in the Davis Field House as they welcome Johnson University of Florida and Trinity Baptist College at 4 and 7 p.m.