Brooke Beaver had a dominant performance on Tuesday night as the freshman led the Bruins with 19 kills as BJU swept Piedmont College 3-0 (25-12, 25-21, 25-15). With the win, the Bruins improve to 18-5 on the season.
"Brooke was on fire tonight," Bruins Head Coach Vickie Denny said. "To have 19 kills in a three-set match is very impressive. They didn't have an answer for her and even after they switched up defensively she still got her kills. A great performance."
The Bruins and Lions met earlier in the 2018 season with BJU winning 3-0 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Lions came into the match at 7-7 having dropped their last two games.
The Bruins got off to a great start in the first set, jumping out to an early 11-2 lead. The team was in sync offensively while defensively they were able to come up with big digs as they continued to stretch their lead. Saleena Walker added back to back aces as the Bruins lead 21-8. From there, the team never looked back as they closed out the opening set 25-12.
After the Bruins cruised to a first set victory, the second set proved to be more challenging as both teams went back and forth. Still, the Bruins were able to build a 14-7 lead behind kills by Brooke Beaver. The Lions came roaring back as they eventually tied the set 20-20. The Bruins then took four of the next five points as Beaver's kill gave the Bruins a 25-21 win in the second set to lead the match 2-0.
The third set was just as competitive as the previous set as halfway through the score was tied at 13-13. From that point on, the Bruins went on a 12-2 match-clinching run to win the final set 25-15. Brooke Beaver had five kills during the run, and Rachel Williams assisted on four of those kills.
"It was a great team effort tonight," Coach Denny said. "We played great defensively, that was the key to the game."
Beaver's 19 kills was a program best for the Bruins in their three-year history. Three players earned double figures in digs as Beaver had 17, Saleena Walker had 14 and Rachel Williams finished with 12. Williams also had 27 assists in the match.
The BJU Bruins will be back in action on Friday night against Johnson & Wales University for their homecoming match. The team will also honor Rachel Williams for senior night.
