The Bruins volleyball team had another strong showing on the opening day of the NCCAA DII National Tournament as the team swept #5 Faith Baptist Bible College 3-0 to improve to 2-0 in pool play. With the win, the Bruins put themselves in great position to advance to the final four of the national tournament.
"Today was a good day for us," Bruins Head Coach Vickie Denny said. "Right now we are playing some good volleyball and we will need to continue on that track if we want to compete for a national title."
The Bruins came into the match on the heels of a 3-0 sweep against #8 Maranatha Baptist University earlier in the day to open the tournament. Victoria Glaze led the Bruins with 13 kills while Rachel Pattisall and Eden Swihart combined for 34 assists in the win.
Faith Baptist came into the match on the heels of a tough 3-0 loss to #4 Johnson University (TN) earlier in the day. For the Eagles, it was a must-win situation but the Bruins were looking to strengthen their final four chances as the two teams took the court.
In the opening set, the Bruins and Eagles went back and forth before an ace from Eden Swihart helped the Bruins score three straight points to lead 6-3. The Eagles came right back with four-straight points thanks to an ace from Morgan Stephens and a kill by Makenna Laib as Faith took an 8-7 lead.
The score remained close throughout the first set before the Bruins began to build a slim lead. The Bruins then closed out the set on an 8-0 run as a plethora of kills from Emma Riddle, Camila Silva, and Timbre Cruz capped off a 25-15 win in set one.
In set two, the Bruins and Eagles again went back and forth with several ties and lead changes in the early stages. With the score tied at 9-9, the Bruins scored five-straight points thanks to four aces by Rachel Pattisall as the team led 14-9.
The Eagles tried to battle back, but the Bruins continued to maintain control as kills from Kayla Oberstar and Victoria Glaze pushed the lead to 22-15. The Eagles would try to muster one last rally, but the Bruins wouldn't be denied as Victoria Glaze hammered down the kill to win the set 25-20 and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
With a sweep on their minds, the Bruins came out looking to close out the Eagles in straight sets. The Bruins stormed out of the gate in the third set as kills from Cruz, Oberstar and Glaze helped the team build a 10-2 lead.
The Bruins refused to let up as they continued to find their rhythm offensively which led to kills. After an Eagles timeout, the Bruins went on an 8-0 run to take a commanding 21-7 lead. The Bruins never looked back as Victoria Glaze recorded back to back kills to give the team a 25-9 win in set three and the sweep.
"Faith brought a solid defensive match to the court tonight," Coach Denny said. "We were able to get great production from both right sides tonight which opened up our offensive pattern of play. It was a great team win."
Victoria Glaze led the Bruins with a double-double 15 kills and 12 digs while Eden Swihart had 21 assists for the team. Next up, the Bruins will finish out pool play on Friday as the team faces #4 Johnson University (TN). Tip-off for the match is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Kissimmee, Florida.
