The Bruins volleyball team turned in a dominant performance as the team swept region rival Toccoa Falls College 3-0 on Tuesday night at the Davis Field House. With the win, the Bruins extended their winning streak to five in a row and winning eleven of their last twelve as the team sits at 12-5. The Bruins also remain undefeated in South region play at 5-0.
"We came out ready to play tonight and I was really pleased with our effort," Bruins Head Coach Vickie Denny said. "Toccoa is always a tough competitor so getting the win the first time we played them this year was important for us."
The Bruins came into the match on the heels of a 3-1 victory over Johnson and Wales University on Thursday. After five straight matches on the road, the Bruins began a six-match homestand on Tuesday night as they welcomed the Screaming Eagles.
Toccoa Falls entered Tuesday's match at 7-3 on the season and 4-0 in region play. The next chapter of this rivalry was set to be written as the two teams took the floor in front of the Bruin faithful.
In the opening set, the Bruins took the early lead as back to back aces from Katelyn Landkrohn fueled a 5-1 start for BJU. The Screaming Eagles tried to answer back but the Bruins continued to keep the pressure on as they extended their lead 15-6 from a kill from Kyra Rickard.
After a timeout, the Screaming Eagles went on a 6-0 run to cut the lead to 18-13. The Bruins responded well as kills from Timbre Cruz and Emma Riddle helped the team close out set one 25-17.
In the second, the Bruins carried their momentum as the team jumped out to a 12-4 lead. The Screaming Eagles were back on their heels and tried to battle back but the Bruins defense stood strong.
Later on in the set, a kill from Faith Blalock pushed the Bruins lead to 18-9. Despite a TFC rally, the Bruins closed out the second set by the same score as the first as the team took a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-17 win in set two.
The Bruins were eyeing the sweep and it showed as the team stormed out to an early 11-2 lead. Toccoa Falls tried to answer back, but the Bruins continued to pick apart the defense with well-placed kills while the defense continued to disrupt the Screaming Eagles' offensive flow.
Kyra Rickard provided back to back kills for BJU as the team extended their lead 18-6. From there, the Bruins never looked back as they capped off their dominant performance with a kill from Rickard as the team won set three 25-8 and the match 3-0.
"The fans were great tonight and we really appreciate them coming out and supporting us," Coach Denny said. "We're really pleased with our defensive effort tonight. I think it frustrated them because we kept making great plays defensively which didn't allow them to get into their rhythm. Toccoa hadn't lost in the region before tonight so this is a big win for us."
Emma Riddle led the Bruins with 9 kills in the match while Timbre Cruz finished ith 8 and Kyra Rickard and Faith Blalock each with six. Kiersten Hoopes led the team with 28 assists while Katelyn Landkrohn had 3 aces in the win.
Next up, the Bruins will be back home again on Thursday night as the team welcomes Pfeiffer University.
