The Bruins volleyball team wrapped up the 2020 regular season on a high note on Saturday as the team recorded sweeps over Brewton-Parker College and Trinity Baptist College in Mount Vernon, Georgia. The Bruins finish the regular season at 9-6 as they enter the NCCAA DII South Regional Tournament next week.
"We are thankful for two wins on the road today," Bruins Head Coach Vickie Denny said. "It was a great team effort with everybody getting to play and contributing. We were able to run different combinations of line ups as we prepare for the end of our season."
The Bruins came into the match on the heels of a loss to Erskine College on Friday night at the Davis Field House. The Bruins went back and forth with the Flying Fleet, including having set point in two different sets before falling in a hard-fought match.
Earlier this season, the Bruins had welcomed Brewton-Parker College where the Bruins swept the Barons in straight sets thanks to Brooke Beaver's 12 kills, 4 aces and 9 digs. The Bruins would face the Barons in the first match on Saturday as BPC came into the game at 4-10 overall.
In the opening set, the Bruins grabbed an early lead thanks to a kill from Brooke Beaver and errors by the Barons. Near the midway point of the set, the Bruins went on a 6-0 run thanks to an ace by Victoria Glaze and kills from Beaver and Emma Riddle as the team led 15-6. From there, the team never looked back as they closed out the set well to win 25-13.
The Bruins picked up where they left off as a 9-1 run gave them a 9-3 lead to open the set. Timbre Cruz and Brooke Beaver added kills to increase the lead before Bailee Hunger made a kill as the Bruins led 19-8. Hunger then added an ace followed by a kill by Glaze as the Bruins again won handily 25-13 in the second set.
With the sweep in sight, the Bruins jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the third set thanks to two aces from Brooke Beaver and back to back kills by Kayla Oberstar. The Barons tried to stave off a sweep and battled back to trail 10-9.
The score remained close near the midway point of the set, but the Bruins maintained the upper hand and eventually scored three-straight points before Brooke Beaver finished off the Barons with a kill to give the Bruins a 25-18 win in set three and a 3-0 sweep in the match.
Victoria Glaze led the Bruins with 10 kills while Brooke Beaver had 7 kills to go along with 4 aces and 7 digs.
In the second match of the day, the Bruins would face region opponent Trinity Baptist College. This would be the first matchup of the season for the two teams as the Bruins came into the match with a perfect 5-0 record in their history with the Eagles.
The Bruins stormed out to an early 8-3 lead in the opening set as Emma Riddle and Victoria Glaze made kills. The Eagles stayed within striking distance but a 6-0 run put the Bruins up 22-10 and the team never looked back as they won the opening set 25-12.
In the second set, Coach Denny switched up personnel and played more of the freshmen in the lineup. The team responded well as they scored the first six points of the set before building a 10-5 lead. Katelyn Landkrohn and Bailee Hunger each had kills but the Eagles came back with a 5-0 run to cut into the lead. The Bruins responded well as the team went on a run of their own as they went on to win set two 25-18.
The Bruins looked to complete their second sweep of the day, but the Eagles came out with four straight points to open the set. The Bruins were able to battle back thanks to an ace from Timbre Cruz and a kill from Victoria Glaze as they tied the set 7-7. Kayla Obertar provided a spark for the Bruins as the freshman served three aces in a 6-0 run to give the Bruins the lead.
The Eagles and Bruins went back and forth before the Bruins made an 8-1 run to take a commanding 22-16 lead in the set. The Bruins were able to finish off the Eagles 25-17 in the third set to complete the 3-0 sweep.
"Today was a good start to our regional tournament week as we look forward to having the opportunity to host on our home court," Coach Denny said.
With the wins, the Bruins finish regular season play as the team looks ahead to the NCCAA DII South Regional Playoffs. The tournament will begin on November 6 in Greenville, South Carolina. More information on seeding for the tournament will be released in the following days.
