MARIETTA, Ga. (Aug. 31, 2018) – The Truett McConnell University women's volleyball team traveled to Life University for the Running Eagles Classic on Thursday afternoon. The Lady Bears defeated the Brewton-Parker Barons and the Johnson & Wales Wildcats in four and five sets (3-1, 3-2). Friday's match against the Barons was the second time this season the Lady Bears came out on top.
BREWTON-PARKER (25-15, 25-23, 21-25, 25-23)
Both teams traded the lead back and forth up until Madison Curtis' kill put the Lady Bears out front (10-9) and it was only up from there. TMU went on several 3-0 runs up until the 25th point that was scored on senior Shayla Smith's ace (25-15). The Lady Bears outkilled the Barons 12-5. Game two was the closest set of the match while both teams battled back and forth until the very end. After 23 apiece, TMU's defense forced two Brewton-Parker errors to secure the second game (25-23).
Game three saw the Barons using an early 4-0 run to maintain the lead the rest of the way (21-25). Similar to games one and two, the Lady Bears dominated the start leading by as much as six points and never trailing. After earning the first four points of the set, the Barons eventually caught up at 23-23 but a service error and a TMU kill finished the fourth set to fasten the Lady Bears' first victory of the day (25-23).
LEADERS
Freshman Bethany Ross led with 13 kills while Smith followed with 11. Curtis, Olivia Beasley and Jordan Henshaw all tallied four apiece. Beasley and Smith were credited four block assists apiece. Sophomore Hannah Lee led the way with 12 digs while fellow sophomore Abby Maxwell followed with seven. Maxwell compiled a total of 26 assists and Anna Mumpower compiled 10.
JOHNSON & WALES (25-19), (27-29), (25-14), (24-26), (16-14)
Immediately TMU got out front winning the first five points of the first set but the Wildcats responded with a 6-0 run and it was head to head from there. The match was tied five different times until the Lady Bears gained the momentum to finish off the first set on a service ace by Ross (25-19).
Tied at 24, 25, 26 and 27 apiece in game two, both teams battled but nonetheless Johnson & Wales claimed their first win of the match off a kill and service ace of their own (27-29). TMU picked up the pace and dominated in game three outkilling the Wildcats 17-8. After the first eight volleys of the set, Johnson & Wales trailed no less five points the rest of the way (25-14). The Wildcats then rallied in the fourth set to force the match to five games (26-24).
Though the fifth set was a tight race, TMU came out on top sealing their second victory of day one of the Running Eagles Classic (16-14).
LEADERS
Three Lady Bears were in the double digit column for kills. Freshman Ross led TMU for the second time Friday with 20 kills while Henshaw followed with 15 and Smith with 10. Henshaw's 15 marks a career high. Maxwell and Lee also marked career highs; Maxwell compiled a total of 47 assists while Lee earned 33 digs. Beasley led the way again in the blocking column with five assists and a single block.
UP NEXT
TMU will face Southeastern University at 11 a.m. and Freed-Hardeman University at 3 p.m. at day two of the Running Eagles Classic on Saturday. The Lady Bears have a quick turnaround as they are back on the road on Wednesday, Sept. 5, for their last nonconference matchup before conference play. TMU will face Toccoa Falls College at 7 p.m.
