FLORENCE, S.C. – The UNCP volleyball ball team fell victim to a strong hitting percentage by Belmont Abbey on Saturday, and were not able to overcome 44 kills and 11 blocks in falling 3-0 at the Francis Marion University Invitational.
Belmont Abbey (1-3) finished with a .248 team hitting percentage compared to a .067 by the Lady Braves (2-2). The Crusaders posted 60 digs and 41 assists while the Black and Gold tallied 49 digs and 29 assists. The Lady Braves stayed competitive in game one but came up short, 25-23. UNCP led from the start in game two with a 3-0 advantage however, the Crusaders slowly rallied back to take the 25-19 victory. An 8-0 run in game three secured the lead for Belmont Abbey as the Crusaders capped the win, 25-18.
The loss snapped a series five-game winning streak over the Crusaders. Newcomer Sarah Bower led the team with eight kills while senior Heather Bolwerk collected 16 assists and 10 digs. Sophomore Marissa Baker totaled 17 digs for the Lady Braves while Ashlyn Rebok added nine assists.
Lydia Schellenberg and Bria James registered 13 and 11 kills, respectively, for the Crusaders while Kay Schellengerg added 19 assists. Angela Jubb led the team with 18 digs while Victoria Jensen had a team-high three blocks.
UNCP will look to regroup and rebound on Tuesday when it travels to Elizabeth City State (1-2) for a nonconference matchup at 6 p.m. in Elizabeth City, N.C.
