LOUISVILLE, Ky.--It took four match points, but the Bellarmine volleyball team was able to defeat Liberty 3-1 in the first match of Senior Weekend on Friday night at Knights Hall to record the program's very first home win as a Division I member.
 
Bellarmine held a 24-21 advantage in the fourth set, but the Flames repelled two straight match points to extend the game. The Knights finally secured the winning point when Abbie Stefanon and Hannah Brown blocked a Liberty attack to give the Knights a 30-28 set four win.
 
The victory marked the third in a row for the Knights, who improved to 4-9 overall and 3-6 in ASUN play.  Meanwhile Liberty's skid stretches to five as the Flames fall to 2-8, 2-7 ASUN.
 
Bellarmine got off to a solid start in the match by eking out a closely-fought 25-23 win in the opening set.  Liberty came back to square the match by pulling away from the Knights in the second set with a 25-18 win. It would be the only set the Flames would win as Bellarmine ran away with the third set with a 25-13 victory to set up the exciting fourth set conclusion.
 
Senior outside hitter Chrysanthi Stamatiou led the Knights with 14 total kills, and she recorded a double-double by also coming up with 11 digs.

Meanwhile, it was a record-setting night for reigning ASUN Conference Player of the Week Abbie Oetting. In addttion to her 11 kills in the match, she also recorded two assisted blocks to make her Bellarmine's all-time leader with 208.
 
Stefanon proved to be the most efficient offensive player for Bellarmine, leading the Knights in attack percentage at .467 by tallying seven kills on just 15 swings.  

Setting up the offense for the Knights was junior setter Sam Rickert, who picked up 48 of Bellarmine's 50 total assists in the match.
 
Defensively, senior libero Karleigh Wilson turned in her third straight match with at least 20 digs, notching 25 in tonight's contest.
 
Liberty's Rajini Fitzmaurice recorded match-high honors in kills with 17.
 
A look inside the team stats shows that Liberty had slight advantages in both total kills (54 to 52) and hitting percentage (.186 to .155) while also holding an 11-8 edge in total blocks.  However, the Knights made up the difference in the service game.  Bellarmine committed just two service errors while recording five aces while the Flames committed 13 service errors and totaled just four aces.
 
The Knights play the Flames again tomorrow with match time set for 5 p.m.
 
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