Bryan downs Wise and Bluefield for second weekend sweep

     Bryan College traveled to the University of Virginia at Wise and continued their win streak with a 3-0 win (30-26, 30-20, 30-27).  The Lions, winners of their last four matches - all on the road - weathered the strong offense of UVA-Wise with solid passing, consistent serves, and a balanced offensive attack.

     The Lions took an 8-2 lead off strong serving and kills by Robin Renfroe and Amber Smith, then maintained the lead despite a late Wise surge.  Game two was completely in the Lions' control.  Bryan enjoyed leads of 12 points through most of the game.  Behind a supportive home crowd, Wise came back strong in game three, taking a 6-2 lead and fighting off several Bryan runs.  Behind 17-13, the Lions began to turn up the heat, and caught the home team at 18, cracking the Cavalier confidence.  The Lions appeared ready to put the game away at 28-23, but the Cavs fought back until strong kills by Abby Humphrey and Smith put away the match.

     Senior captain Humphrey led the Lions with contributions in every statistical category.  Humphrey finished with 10 kills (.318 pct), 14 digs, 2 assists, 4 aces, and 2 solo blocks.  Smith continued her strong play at the net with 11 kills (.381 pct), 2 aces, and contributed on 6 solo blocks.  Setter Jenny Loveday added to her offensive output with a solid attack (5 kills, .364 pct) and 34 assists. 

    "We came into this match with a lot of confidence after last weekend," commented  Bryan Head Coach Leo Sayles. "Our goal was three-fold:  to take control of the match early, stay focused on meeting our statistical goals, and withstand the Cavs' runs.  We went three-for-three meeting our goals.  Our girls did a great job making adjustments as well.  We knew teams might try to key on Smith after her strong performance last week. Several other players stepped forward and gave strong performances.  I'm pleased with this effort, and hope we can continue building on this win."

     The Lions pulled out a hard-fought match Saturday over Bluefield College with a 3-1 (30-17, 33-35, 30-16, 30-27) victory in Virginia .

     Abby Humphrey and Amber Smith again led the show for the streaking Lions, who are now riding a 5-game win streak.  The Lions controlled game 1 with a strong offensive attack, totaling 18 kills in the game.  The host Rams, however, were not to be taken lightly, and responded by building a 7-point  (9-2) lead early in game 2, which they were able to maintain through most of the game.  The Lions committed 13 unforced errors, which kept them off-balance through most of the game.  Bryan refused to give up, however, and chipped away at the Bluefield lead, finally catching them at 26.  The two teams battled into extra points, with Bluefield coming out on top (35-33) off a  hitting error by the Lions.  Unfortunately, Loveday injured her index finger in the midst of a fierce rally, and struggled through the rest of the match.

     The Lions sought to gain the upper hand in game three, and cruised to a big win with only 3 unforced errors.  Once again, however, the host Rams would not go away quietly, and took an early lead.  Neither team led by more than 3 points throughout the game, and the Lions mounted a late surge behind the hitting of Humphrey, Smith, and Robin Renfroe.  They tied the game at 24, and eventually put the game away with a quick offensive burst of hits from the Lions’ hitting trio. 

     “This was a tough match for both teams.  Although we held the upper hand offensively, Bluefield consistently dug up our big hitters and kept the ball in play,” commented Coach Sayles.  “Last year, Bluefield ’s scrappiness caught us totally off-guard when they defeated us at home.  We were more prepared this time, and were patient.  We know our fire-power would eventually wear the Rams down, if we stayed consistent.” 

     There were many stars in the Bluefield match.  Loveday, although injuring her finger midway through game 2, continued to play.  Although the injured finger hampered her setting and serving ability, she finished with 45 assists, 20 digs, and was perfect from the serving line (27 out of 27).  Backup setter Hannah Suits contributed 15 assists after Loveday’s injury forced the Lions to change their offense to a 6-2 formation.

     Abby Humphrey finished with 19 kills, a career high 33 digs, 4 aces, and was 27 for 28 in serve-receptions.  Amber Smith finished with a career and team-high 21 kills, .521 hitting percentage, 4 total blocks, and 2 aces.  Libero Kathryn Rawley continued to bulster the Lions defense, passing 41 of 43 serve-receptions, 22 digs, and serving perfect from the line.