The Bruins volleyball team opened the 2022 season on the road on Friday as the team split their two matches on the day falling to William Peace University 3-0 before defeating Roanoke College 3-2.
"We are a young team and every match is a learning experience for us," Bruins Head Volleyball Coach Vickie Denny said. "In our second match, we had our backs against the wall and stepped up to make key plays to squeeze out the win. Each match, we want to learn the lessons that will help us get better."
The Bruins came into the day after going 1-1 in preseason play to prepare for the season. In the first match of the day, the Bruins would face the WPU Pacers to kick off the regular season.
In the opening set, the Bruins jumped out to an early lead as Emma Riddle and Timbre Cruz made kills to help the team lead 6-2. The Pacers battled back to tie the set before scoring five-straight points to lead 11-9. The two teams went back and forth with the score remaining close but the Pacers were able to take set one 25-20.
The Bruins looked to even the match in set two. The score was close in the early stages with the Bruins scoring three-straight to take an 8-7 lead. Again the Pacers were able to find the upper hand as they found holes in the Bruins defense for kills.
Eventually, WPU took a 24-20 lead looking to take a 2-0 lead in the match. The Bruins responded with a rally as Emma Riddle helped the team score three-straight points to trail 24-23. Unfortunately, the Pacers wouldn't be denied as they edged the Bruins 25-23 in set two.
With their backs against the wall, the Bruins came out looking to avoid the sweep. The Pacers came out strong with four-straight points but the Bruins battled back later on with five-straight points to take an 11-9 lead. Near the midway points of the set, another 5-0 run from the Pacers gave the team a 17-14 lead. The Bruins tried to battle back with a late rally but Kelsey Bierbauer ended the comeback hopes as she landed a kill to win the set 25-23 and the match 3-0.
Emma Riddle led the Bruins with 10 kills in the match while Bethany Estell finished with 8. Kiersten Hoopes and Eden Swihart combined for 26 assists in the match while Katelyn Landkrohn led the team with 14 digs.
In the second match of the day, the Bruins would be paired with Roanoke College. The Bruins took the early lead in set one as Timbre Cruz made a kill to spark the team to a 3-0 lead. The Maroons battled back but the Bruins continued to maintain the upper hand as they led 10-5.
The Maroons then sparked a rally as kills from Georgie Ritter and Ryanna Clark helped the team go on a 10-0 run and take a 15-11 lead. Undaunted, the Bruins battled back with a 5-0 run of their own to regain the lead. The two teams went back and forth eventually heading past the 25-point mark. Kiersten Hoopes then gave the Bruins the win in set one with an ace as the team edged the Maroons 31-29.
In the second set, the Bruins and Maroons traded points and the lead as the score remained within one or two points throughout the set. The Bruins would take the lead and then the Maroons would respond with a run to regain the lead as the set went back and forth. As the dust settled, the Maroons were able to even the set as Peyton Kircher hammered a kill to win the set for Roanoke 25-23 and tie the match 1-1.
The Bruins roared back in set three as Timbre Cruz recorded two aces to spark a 6-0 lead out of the gate for the team. The Maroons came right back with a 12-1 run to regain the lead but the Bruins responded with a kill from Kyra Rickard to stop the run. In the late stages of the set, the Bruins came up with a key four-point run capped off from back to back kills from Cruz and Riddle as the team went on to win set three 25-23.
With a 2-1 lead in the match, the Bruins came out looking to finish off the Maroons. Roanoke had other plans as the Maroons were able to keep the lead throughout the set before defeating the Bruins 25-21 to force a fifth and final set.
Both teams took the court knowing this set would determine the winner. The Bruins came out strong as kills from Faith Blalock and Bethany Estell helped the team lead 5-2. The Bruins edged closer to the win as a kill made it 9-5.
Roanoke sensed the match was slipping away and mounted one last rally as they battled back to tie the set at 13-13. Emma Riddle then proved to be the hero for the Bruins as she recorded back to back kills to give the team a 15-13 win in set five and a 3-2 match win.
Riddle led the Bruins with 13 kills in the match while Timbre Cruz and Faith Blalock each had 10 and Bethany Estell finished with 11. Eden Swihart led the team with 25 assists while Kiersten Hoopes finished with 22. The Bruins had a combined 87 digs in the match with Katelyn Landkrohn finishing the match with 27.
"I really like our team this year," Coach Denny said. "They are very coachable and work really hard. With that combination, we should see great improvement over the course of the season."
Next up, the Bruins will wrap up the Cougar Classic on Saturday as the team faces Averett University at 9:30 a.m. followed by Meredith College at 11:30 a.m. in Danville, Virginia.
