Thursday, November 16, 2006

MACON, Ga. – Trailing 2-1, the Lipscomb Lady Bisons rallied to win games three and four, earning the first on-court victory over Belmont in school history and advancing to the championship match of the Atlantic Sun Volleyball Championship for the first time in school history, 28-30, 30-24, 26-30, 30-19, 15-13.

After dropping game three 30-26, Lipscomb exploded in game four, out-hitting the Bruins .375-.056 en route to the 11-point victory. All-Atlantic Sun First-Team honoree Sarah Snider notched five of her team-high 22 kills in the fourth frame, helping force the decisive fifth set.

The Bruins (20-8) held a 13-11 game five lead and were just two points from their third consecutive championship round appearance, but the Lady Bisons (19-11) scored the match’s final four points for their first-ever victory over their cross-town rivals.

The victory sends Lipscomb into the championship round for the first time after consecutive semifinal exits. The fourth-seeded Lady Bisons will take on third-seed Jacksonville for the title, marking the first time neither of the top-two seeds made the championship round since 1992. The Lady Bisons defeated the Dolphins 3-1 in Jacksonville in the regular season.

After dropping the opening frame by two points, Lipscomb responded with a six-point game two victory, evening the match heading into intermission. Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year Jake Pease dished out a game-high 11 assists, equaled the team high with three kills; including a back-corner strike at game point.

Pease guided the Lipscomb offensive attack, distributing 55 assists on the evening. In addition to Snider’s 22 kills, two other Lady Bisons finished the night with double-digit kills; Atlantic Sun All-Freshman team selection Alex Kelly and Jessica Enderle.

The Bruins’ All-Atlantic Sun first team selections Cat Mundy and Colleen Nilson played exceptionally in the loss, as Mundy tied and Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament record with 31 kills, and Nilson distributed a match-high 59 assists.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.