Volleyball Sweeps USC Upstate, 3-0

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Belmont (19-8, 10-2 A-Sun) swept USC Upstate (8-20, 2-10 A-Sun) in straight sets on Friday evening. The Bruins are now 8-0 all-time against USC Upstate. Belmont will complete its final conference road swing on Saturday with a 2 p.m. match at ETSU.

Belmont turned in an efficient match offensively, hitting .265 for the night and getting 41 kills on 98 attacks. The Bruins were also solid defensively, recording 9.5 team blocks on the night. On the whole, Head Coach Deane Webb was pleased with his team's performance.

"I was pleased with how we served and blocked tonight," Webb said. "We didn't hit as well from the back row as we normally do, but otherwise we attacked the ball fairly well."

Senior Maggie Johnson (Naperville, Ill.) led the Bruins with 13 kills, while Belmont also got strong performances from sophomores Jen Myer (New Braunfels, Texas) and Allison McCoy (Huntington Beach, Calif.), who each recorded seven kills on the night. Myer also added five service aces, while Johnson led the Bruins with 10 digs.

"Jen (Myer) not only served aggressively, but she also did a good job serving consistently," Webb said of Myer's effort. "It's a great time of year for her to find the balance needed between aggression and accuracy, and she did that versus Upstate. Allison (McCoy) hit for a great percentage, and it's our job to make sure we give her an adequate number of swings."

The Bruins got contributions from every available player on their roster, as 11 different players registered playing time in the match, the most in any match this season. Freshmen Kelsi Dean (Marietta, Ga.), and Alex Martin (Ooletwah, Tenn.), as well as reserves sophomore Danielle Prochaska (Middleton, Wisc.), and senior Lexi Adams (Plainwell, Mich.) all saw action in the match.

"It is always great for a number of different players to have the opportunity to contribute, and tonight was an opportunity for every single player on our team to help us earn the win," Webb said. "It also gives our younger players a chance to compete and for us as coaches to evaluate our newer players in a match situation."

Belmont will go for win number 20 on the season when they meet ETSU in Johnson City, Tenn. at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Belmont is 7-3 all-time against the Buccaneers, but only a 1-3 record at ETSU. The Bruins won the first meeting between the two teams this season, taking a 3-1 win in the Curb Event Center at the end of September.

"We're excited for the match tomorrow and what it could mean for our team and program," Webb said. "ETSU is playing well right now, and we know we'll need to play exceedingly well to earn the win."

Schedule information and full recaps are available at www.belmontbruins.com. Tomorrow's match against ETSU will be broadcast on ASun.TV. Links to the video and livestats are available at www.belmontbruins.com.