Friday, November 18, 2011

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Top-seeded Belmont survived a five-set thriller against No. 5 ETSU to secure a spot in the 2011 Atlantic Sun Volleyball Championship Final. The appearance in the final is the fifth for the Bruins in the past eight championships.

Belmont struck first in the opening set with a 27-25 win. The Bruins were led by three players with at least four kills. ETSU’s Megan Devine posted a set-high six kills in the opener. In set two, the Lady Bucs evened the match with a 25-18 victory. ETSU posted a high attack percentage at .361 with 16 kills, while holding the Bruins to 13 kills and .125 hitting.

Set three belonged to the Lady Bucs with a 25-23 victory. Devine once again led the way for ETSU with five kills. Her 12 digs in the match gave the sophomore her 16th double-double of the season. Maggie Johnson, the A-Sun Co-Player of the Year, posted seven kills in set three for the Bruins. Johnson finished the match with 13 digs to go along with her 18 kills for the senior’s 18th double-double this season, which ranks second-most in the A-Sun.

The Bruins answered back with a 25-13 set four to extend the match to a fifth game. Belmont’s defense held ETSU to a .026 attack percentage, while BU tallied 17 kills and a .368 attack percentage – its highest of the match.

Belmont closed out the match in set five, 15-8, to secure the final spot in the A-Sun Sunday finale.

The Bruins sophomore middle hitter, Allison McCoy finished with 20 kills and a match-high .514 attack percentage, while Jamie Lundstrom – the A-Sun Libero of the Year – registered a match-high 24 digs.

All games of the 2011 Atlantic Sun Volleyball Championship are broadcasted for free on ASun.TV.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an NCAA Division I league with 10 member institutions committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun meets the challenge of maintaining the highest standards in academic and athletic achievement with a true balance between student and athlete. 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, 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.