Box Score
The Lady Bruins volleyball team pulled the upset on Tuesday night as they defeated the #2 ranked Toccoa Falls College Screaming Eagles 3-2 in Toccoa, Georgia to win their 4th straight match.
"It was incredible," Bruins Head Coach Vickie Denny said. "Different players stepped up at different times to help contribute in the win."
The Lady Bruins met the Eagles earlier in the season, with BJU edging TFC 3-2 in a five-set thriller in Greenville September 15. As the two teams took the court in Georgia, the Eagles fans were hoping to avenge the early season loss.
In the opening set, the Eagles came out with the early advantage to put the Bruins back on their heels. The Bruins clawed their way back into the game as Katherine Ring and Erin Jarvis provided kills to help the Bruins close the gap. The Eagles would take first set as they closed out the Bruins 25-22 to take a 1-0 lead.
The Bruins came roaring back in the second set as they were able to put together consistent offensive scoring to take the upperhand. Saleena Walker provided great defense for the Bruins as she helped dig balls into position for the team to score. This set, it was the Bruins who closed out strong as they evened the match 1-1 by winning 25-20.
With momentum on their side, the Bruins came out strong in the third set. Olivia Vosburgh provided a strong serve for the team as the Bruins led 5-0. The Eagles were able to close the gap, but it was too little too late as the Bruins took set three 25-17 and moved ahead 2-1 in the match.
The hometown crowd wasn't about to let their Eagles go down without a fight and it showed as TFC battled hard in the 4th set. Both teams remained close as the score went back and forth. Eventually, the Bruins were able to gain a small lead as they looked to close out the Eagles to win the match. TFC had other plans as they rallied to tie the set and then go on to force a 5th set with a 26-24 win.
Both teams came out in the 5th set knowing one would leave the floor with the victory. The veteran players stepped up for the Bruins as they remained calm despite a back and forth final set. The Bruins built a 14-11 lead and looked to have won the match after the final point was awarded to BJU. The Bruins spoke to the official and said they had touched the ball which awarded the point to the Eagles. With a renewed sense of hope, the Eagles battled back to tie the match 14-14. From there, the two teams went back and forth with both on the cusp of victory. Finally, the Bruins were able to take the one-point lead before a set error gave the Bruins a 19-17 victory in the final set completing the upset with a 3-2 win.
"I was so proud of our team," Coach Denny said. "They stayed focused and played well in a very loud environment."
Erin Jarvis led the Bruins with 21 kills on the night while Rachel Tubbs had 15 and Katherine Ring had 14. Saleena Walker was unbelievable defensively with 61 digs on the night. With the win, the Bruins improve to .500 on the season at 11-11. Next up, the team will return home as they welcome Johnson and Wales University on Friday night for their homecoming match at the Davis Field House.
