BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. — Blue Mountain Christian started Southern States Athletic Conference volleyball play with a straight-set win over Andrew College on Thursday inside Tyler Gymnasium.
The Toppers opened the match strong, posting their most efficient offensive performance in the first set. They recorded 18 kills and hit .452 to win 25-18.
Blue Mountain carried momentum into the second set, holding Andrew to just two kills and a -.167 hitting percentage. The Toppers cruised to a 25-7 victory, taking a 2-0 lead in the match.
Andrew fought back in the third set, but Blue Mountain remained in control. The Toppers finished with 15 kills and a .312 hitting percentage, closing out the match with a 25-19 win. They totaled 41 kills with a .341 hitting percentage, while holding Andrew to 17 kills and a .000 percentage.
Blue Mountain also led in aces (9-5), blocks (8-5), assists (38-14) and digs (44-26). Valeria Velez and Marissa Gerleman each had 10 kills. Salice Speed added nine kills. Velez served a match-high four aces. Brenyn Wilbanks dished out 18 assists, and Sydney Tague added nine.
Defensively, Abbi Williams and Speed each recorded nine digs, with Velez adding seven. At the net, Olivia Lewis and Mattie Hopper each contributed four blocks, while Gerleman added three.
The Toppers are scheduled to return to action Saturday against Faulkner University in another SSAC match.
