Winston-Salem, N.C. — Blue Mountain Christian Volleyball concluded the Carolina Classic on Saturday with a split of two matches, finishing the weekend at 2-1. The Volley Toppers opened the day with a five-set loss to Bryan College before responding with a straight-set victory over host Carolina University.
In the match against Bryan, Blue Mountain Christian took the initial set 25-22 but was answered by Bryan with a 25-20 win in the second. The Lions then took the third set 25-22 to lead the match. The Volley Toppers forced a fifth set with a 25-19 win in the fourth, but Bryan edged them 15-12 in the final frame to secure the victory, handing Blue Mountain Christian its first loss of the season.
Marissa Gerleman led the team with 17 kills and a .333 hitting percentage. She also contributed defensively with four solo blocks and a block assist. Salice Speed posted a double-double with 15 kills and 17 digs. Olivia Lewis and Mattie Hopper each added seven kills, with Lewis hitting .333. Olivia Domino dished out 32 assists, and Abbi Williams led the back row with 28 digs. The team finished with 55 kills, 50 assists, and 78 digs in the five-set match.
Later in the day, Blue Mountain Christian responded with a 3-0 sweep of Carolina University. The Volley Toppers opened with a 25-15 win, followed by 25-18 and 25-18 victories in the second and third sets, respectively. Valeria Velez led the attack with nine kills on a .233 hitting percentage. Gerleman added eight kills and a .286 percentage, while Mattie Hopper went error-free with six kills on 13 attempts for a .462 mark. Speed contributed six kills and five aces from the service line.
Olivia Domino recorded 28 assists, and Williams led defensively with 22 digs. Speed added 13 digs, and Velez finished with 11. The team hit .237 for the match, accumulating 35 kills, 34 assists, and 65 digs. Overall, Gerleman totaled 25 kills for the day, and Speed contributed 21 kills and 30 digs. Williams finished with 50 digs, while Domino added 60 assists. The team departs Winston-Salem with a 2-1 record after completing the tournament with a dominant win.
