Friday, November 20, 2009

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Lipscomb enacted a final measure of revenge for last year's title-game loss to Belmont, advancing to their third consecutive final by eliminating the Bruins; 25-20, 25-23, 15-25 and 25-22.

Belmont (18-15) entered the match owning a 2-1 advantage against the Lady Bisons in tournament play, This meeting marked the fourth straight year that the Nashville rivals have squared off, each time the winner has gone on to win the title.

Lipscomb (27-3) buried the Bruins in set one, as the Lady Bisons rushed a two-point advantage on Alex Kelly kills. Kelly, the A-Sun's Player of the Year, totaled three kills in the set and Kaycee Green added four as the Lady Bisons built a healthy margin early in the set then traded points with the Bruins before claiming victory.

The second set saw ties early, at points 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11 before Belmont started to build an advantage. Belmont worked the lead up to 21-17, but the Bruins could not close as Lipscomb rallied , scoring eight of the last 10 points with the set-winning coming courtesy a on a block from co-captains Kelly and senior Erin Pierce. Overall, the set saw 11 ties and saw lead changes between Belmont and Lipscomb.

If the Bruins felt down after the second set, it did not show in set three as they dominated the set, 25-15. Belmont hit at a .333 clip with only two errors, while Lipscomb struggled throughout the set, hitting at just a .061 hitting percentage while amassing nine errors. The Lady Bisons loss marked the second-worst set lost for Lipscomb versus a set opponent. ETSU handed Lipscomb a 25-14 loss in Johnson City, Tenn., on Oct. 2.

In a fairly even fourth set, the Bruins were not to go down without a fight, as the last few minutes saw a fight for the finish. First-Team All-Conference member Maggie Johnson found a Lipscomb hole in the middle of the court, and Lipscomb’s All-Freshman addition Kaycee Green deftly returned to the other side, finding a hole on the Bruins’ side, sending the set to match point. It was all the Lady Bisons’ Katie Marshall from then on, claiming a service ace as the Bruins looked on hoping it would miss wide or long.

Lipscomb, as a team, hit .170 for the match, as compared to Belmont’s .159 tally. First-Team All-Atlantic Sun setter junior Stefine “Jake” Pease recorded a match-high 40 assists, to go along with eight digs and five kills. Along with her two kills in the first set, Kelly notched another 10 in the match, to go along with 10 digs. For the Bruins, sophomore setter Channing Salava recorded 35 assists, eight digs and four kills, while senior middle blocker Jenny Gray tallied 10 kills and seven digs in her final match playing for Belmont.

Lipscomb’s win and No. 1 seed align the Lady Bisons for the championship match versus the winner of No. 2 Jacksonville or No. 3 FGCU, on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in Alico Arena.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an NCAA Division I member committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.