Aug. 27, 2010
Final Stats
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Miami volleyball team dropped the opening match of the Belmont Invitational to the host Belmont Bruins, 0-3, on Friday night. Belmont took the three sets by scores of 25-18, 25-22 and 25-22. It was the season opener for both squads.
Cassie Farrell recorded the first point of the RedHawk season on a kill off a Colleen Loftus assist. Miami pushed its lead to 4-2 thanks to another kill from Farrell along with one from Christina Menche. An 8-3 run by Belmont gave the Bruins the lead at 10-7. A block from Farrell and a service ace from Loftus helped the RedHawks pull even at 13. From there Belmont went on a decisive 7-2 run that gave it a 20-15 lead and allowed it to go on to the 25-18 victory.
Set two also started well for Miami as freshman Madison Hardy recorded her first career kill en route to the RedHawks taking a 6-3 lead. The Bruins followed with a 10-4 run to take a three point lead of their own at 13-10. The teams traded points until it was 19-16 in favor of Belmont. Amy Raseman followed with a kill off of Amy Kendall's assist, and Jackie Lang recorded two consecutive service aces to tie the set at 19. A 5-1 run by the Bruins gave them set point at 24-20, but the RedHawks fought it off twice with a service error and a Michele Metzler kill. However the comeback was not to be as Belmont captured the next point and the 25-22 win.
Two kills each from Farrell and Loftus, one from Metzler and another ace from Lang helped the RedHawks jump to a 7-1 lead in set three. Loftus put down a service ace and Raseman scored another kill as Miami maintained that six point advantage at 14-8. From there, the Bruins began to make a comeback. A 9-2 run gave Belmont its first lead of the set at 17-16. With the score 21-20 in favor of the Bruins, three straight kills gave them match point at 24-20. A service error and an attack error pulled Miami to within two at 22-24, but Kayla Albritton put down the final kill to give Belmont the set and a 3-0 victory.
Raseman led the RedHawks with nine kills. Farrell contributed seven, while Loftus put down six. Lang was the digs leader with 10, while Kendall had 27 assists. Miami hit .165 for the match, compared to Belmont's .309.
The RedHawks will conclude play at the Belmont Invitational with two matches on Saturday. Miami will take on Jacksonville State at 11 a.m. (EDT), and follow it up with a 4:30 p.m. (EDT) contest against Memphis.
