For the second time this season, the Bruins faced off against Truett McConnell University. The Bob Jones University women's volleyball fell in a 3-0 decision in their home opener against the Bears.
It was a close start to open the contest from the Davis Field House. Truett McConnell soon pulled ahead. With the set point on the line and the Bruins down by 11, BJU went on an eight point scoring run to close the gap. A service error by the Bruins gave the Bears the set point they needed to wrap up the first set 25-21.
As the second set got underway, the Bruins took advantage of early errors and timely kills by Lyndsey Cassell, Stefanie Burke, and Addison Monroe to lead 10-6. TMU responded with an 11-1 run to overtake the Bruins. But the Bruins didn't back down and cut down the deficit and tied the game at 22 points. The Bruins battled, but the set went in favor of the Bears 25-23.
In the final frame, the two teams exchanged points early to knot the score at seven before the Bruins scored five straight to take the lead. The third set proved to be a set of runs. With the Bruins down 22-20, the Bears scored the final three points to claim the 3-0 match win.
Following the game, head coach Anthony Bennett shared, "we were so proud of the improvement we saw in our group tonight. The mental fortitude and physical ability is getting noticeably better, we were just plagued by a few bad runs in each set."
He continued saying, "we all recognize that this isn't our best as a team, and there is still so much room for growth as these girls grow closer to each other. Our upcoming matches this weekend will tell us a lot about our group and our ability to bounce back as we enter into region play!"
Up next, the Bruins travel to Pensacola, Florida to participate in the NCCAA South Region Kickoff this Friday and Saturday.
