Blue Mountain Christian volleyball team overcame an opening-set loss to defeat Faulkner University 3-1 Saturday in Blue Mountain, Mississippi. The Volley Toppers lost the first set 25-22 but responded with three straight wins to secure the victory.
After falling behind, Blue Mountain Christian evened the match with a 25-21 second-set win, thanks to 16 kills. The team carried that momentum into the third set, recording 18 kills and hitting .333 to take it 25-21 and go up 2-1. The final set was close, but the Toppers finished strong with a 25-23 win.
Marissa Gerleman led the attack with 15 kills and a .278 hitting percentage. Valeria Velez added 13 kills, and Mattie Hopper had 12 kills on a .320 percentage. Elle Clayton contributed six kills on 13 attacks without an error, maintaining a .462 hitting percentage. The team totaled 62 kills and hit .193 overall, while holding Faulkner to 40 kills and a .127 hitting percentage.
Olivia Domino dished out 21 assists, followed by Sydney Tague with 16 and Brenyn Wilbanks with 14, as the team amassed 60 assists. Defensively, Abbi Williams led with 25 digs, with Salice Speed adding 20 and Velez nine. Olivia Lewis chipped in with four blocks at the net. The Toppers also recorded eight service aces and outdug Faulkner 76-62.
Saturday’s win capped a successful two-day home stand for Blue Mountain Christian. They previously swept Andrew College on Friday before beating Faulkner. The team will travel to New Orleans next Friday to face Loyola University.
