The Bruins volleyball team picked up back to back region wins on Saturday as the team defeated Johnson University (FL) 3-1 before sweeping Pensacola Christian College 3-0 in Pensacola, Florida. The Bruins close out region play in the regular season with a perfect 8-0 record as the team improved to 23-4 on the season and won their ninth match in a row.
"While we dropped our first set of the day against Johnson, I liked the way we regrouped as a team and found a way to win," Bruins Head Coach Vickie Denny said. "The PCC match was great with a full house of their fans and we were able to step up and finish strong with the sweep."
The Bruins came into the match on the heels of a 3-0 road win on Tuesday as the team swept Toccoa Falls College in Georgia and looked to round out the week with two more region wins.
For the first matchup of the day, the Bruins would face the Suns of Johnson University (FL). Earlier this season, the Bruins swept the Suns 3-0 in Greenville.
In the opening set, the Suns jumped out to an early 4-0 lead thanks to kills from Emi Weekley and Johanlly Sosa. The Bruins tried to answer back but errors allowed the Suns to continue to stretch their lead.
The Bruins were able to narrow the deficit as Emily Via made a kill to help the team score four-straight points and trail 11-9. The Suns again went on a run to take an 18-11 lead as they looked to run away with the set.
The Bruins regrouped and came roaring back as kills from Bailee Hunger and Emma Riddle and an ace from Kayla Oberstar fueled a 6-0 run as the Bruins trailed 18-17. The Suns wouldn't be denied as they answered back with a 6-0 run of their own as they went on to win set one 25-18.
In the second set, the Bruins were determined to battle back and even the match and it showed as the team was able to take an early lead. The score remained close with several ties and lead changes before four-straight points gave the Bruins a 20-17 lead. After kills from Emma Riddle and Timbre Cruz, the Bruins scored the final three points of the set to win 25-19 and even the match 1-1.
Set three saw the back and forth battle continue as both teams traded points and the lead. Near the midway point of the set, a 5-0 run by the Bruins helped the team build a 15-9 lead. The Suns tried to answer back but another late run by the Bruins fueled by kills from Victoria Glaze and Camila Silva helped the team take a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-19 win in set three.
The Bruins had grabbed momentum as they came out looking to finish off the Suns and win the match in set four. The Suns wouldn't' go down without a fight as they exchanged points and the lead with the Bruins early on in the set.
Emily Via helped spark a 5-0 run for the Bruins as the freshman made a kill to help the Bruins lead 11-6. The Bruins continued to keep the upper hand and took a commanding 19-10 lead thanks to another 5-0 run with a kill from Victoria Glaze and an ace from Katelyn Landkrohn. The Suns tried to mount one last rally to keep their hopes alive but Emma Riddle hammered down the final kill as the Bruins won the set 25-17 and the match 3-1.
Victoria Glaze led the Bruins with a double-double 16 kills and 11 digs in the match while Rachel Pattisall had 27 assists and Timbre Cruz and Katelyn Landkrohn combined for 37 digs.
In the second match of the day, the Bruins would face rival Pensacola Christian College. This would be the third meeting between the two programs this season with the Bruins sweeping each of the other two matches. The Eagle fans were out in full voice at the Arlin R. Sports Center as the match was set to begin.
The Bruins took an early lead in set one was s the team was able to get kills from Emily Via and Victoria Glaze to lead 10-5. Later on in the set, a 5-0 run was fueled by an ace from Katelyn Landkrohn and a kill from Victoria Glaze as the Bruins led 17-9. The Eagles tried to rally, but the Bruins scored five-straight points to close out the set 25-14.
In set two, the Bruins continued to keep momentum as the team again jumped out to an early 7-2 lead. The Bruins were able to find holes in the Eagles defense which resulted in kills for Victoria Glaze and company as the team led 12-6.
The Bruins looked to be running away with the set as a kill from Kayla Oberstar gave the team a 21-14 lead. Instead, the Eagles came roaring back on a run as they narrowed the lead to 21-19. The Bruins responded well as a kill from Emma Riddle helped the Bruins close out the set 25-20 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
With a sweep on their minds, the Bruins came out strong in set three as they led 7-1 thanks to kills from Timbre Cruz, Victoria Glaze, Kayla Oberstar and Bailee Hunger. The team continued to distance themselves from the Eagles as a kill from Camila Silva made it 13-4.
Again, the Eagles began to chip away at the lead but the Bruins did a good job of answering back with points. After Timbre Cruz recorded back to back aces, the Bruins led 21-11 and never looked back as they finished off the match 3-0 with a 25-15 win in set three.
Victoria Glaze had another double-double in the match with 15 kills and 11 digs while Rachel Pattisall and Hannah Prince combined for 31 assists in the win. The Bruins combined for 10 aces in the match with Pattisall leading the way with four.
Next up, the Bruins will be on the road on Tuesday night as the team faces Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia.
