The Bruins volleyball team won their fourth-straight match and eighth of their last nine as the team defeated Carolina University 3-1 on Friday night in the Davis Field House. The hometown fans were out in full voice as nearly 700 fans cheered the Bruins on to victory as the team improves to 18-4 on the season.
"I thought we played really well tonight," Bruins Head Coach Vickie Denny said. "We knew it was going to be a tough match as Carolina always plays us well. We knew they would push us and that we would have to play well to win."
The Bruins came into the match on the heels of a 3-0 sweep over Brevard College on Tuesday night. Carolina entered Friday's match on the heels of back to back wins over St. Andrews University and Guilford College. As both teams took the court, the next chapter of the battle of the Bruins was set to the written.
In the opening set, kills from Bailee Hunger and Victoria Glaze helped the Bruins jump out to a 5-1 lead. Carolina came back with three-straight points, but Rachel Pattisall would spark the Bruins on a 6-0 run as she made three aces and a kill to build the team an 11-4 lead. Carolina tried to answer back but the Bruins went on a 7-0 run to close out the set as the Bruins cruised to a 25-11 win.
The Bruins kept up the momentum in set two which fueled the energy of the home crowd. Pattisall again was masterful at the serve for the Bruins helping the team lead 7-2 out of the gate. Carolina chipped away at the lead but the Bruins maintained the upper hand as kills from Bailee Hunger and Kayla Oberstar helped extend the lead 17-10. The Bruins then held off a late run by Carolina as they took a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-19 win in set two.
In the third set, the Bruins came out looking to complete the sweep as the team once again took an early 4-0 lead. Carolina refused to back down and came roaring back with a big run as they eventually led 13-8 causing the Bruins to call a timeout.
It didn't slow Carolina as they pushed their lead to 19-11. The Bruins mounted a dramatic comeback as they trailed 24-22 looking to complete the sweep. Carolina wouldn't be denied as a kill by Zianna Shinhoster finished the set 25-22 and extended the match to a fourth set.
The Bruins knew they had let momentum slip away and the team was determined to get it back as kills from Glaze and Hunger helped the team lead 5-1 in set four. The Bruins then scored three straight thanks to an ace from Katelyn Landkrohn and a kill from Emily Via. Another run by the Bruins pushed the lead to 20-8 and the Bruins never looked back as they finished off the match 3-1 with a 25-11 win in set four.
"We dug ourselves a big hole offensively and defensively in that third set," Coach Denny said. "That said, I felt like we got the momentum back at the end of the third set and used that to build a big lead in the fourth. We stayed focused and did a good job of finishing things out in four."
Victoria Glaze led the Bruins with 18 kills in the win while Rachel Pattisall had a dominant performance with 17 assists and 11 digs. The Bruins again had a strong serve on the night as the team combined for 17 aces in the match.
Next up, the Bruins will play their final home match of the regular season on Tuesday night as the team welcomes Johnson and Wales University at 7 p.m.
