JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Bellarmine volleyball battled their way to a hard-earned 3-2 road victory over the Jacksonville Dolphins on Friday night.  With the win, the Knights improve to 7-12 overall and 5-2 in Atlantic Sun Conference play.

The first set was a game of runs as the Knights scored the first three points of the game en route to an early 7-3 advantage in the first set.  Jacksonville responded with an 8-0 run and kept Bellarmine at arms' length for most of the set.  The Knights tied things up at 22 with a 5-0 run, but the Dolphins finished off the set, winning 25-23.  

Carrying their momentum into the second set, Bellarmine scored the first five points, punctuated by back-to-back Kylie VanHoy kills.  Three straight Maddie Hagan kills and a service ace by Tessa Nauert gave the Knights a 12-5 lead before the Dolphins made another run to tie things up at 19.  This time, the Knights were able to hold on, as Natalie Bland shut the door on Jacksonville's comeback attempt with a kill to give Bellarmine a 25-23 set two win.

Bellarmine once again scored the first three points to begin the third set.  This time, the Knights kept the Dolphins at bay for the entire set, using a .344 hitting percentage and taking advantage of seven Jacksonville attack errors to win the set, 25-19.  The Knights once again made the first move in the fourth set, taking the initial 2-0 lead, but the Dolphins dominated the remainder of the set en route to a 25-17 win to force a decisive fifth set.

With the score tied 4-4 in set five, Bellarmine went on a 4-0 run that included two kills from Anna Purichia.  The Knights would maintain control for much of the set from that point forward, and with the score 14-11, they appeared to have the game won on a JU attacking error, but a Dolphins challenge resulted in a reversal.  Jacksonville used the overturned call to spark a 4-0 run, taking a 15-14 lead, giving them match point.  Bellarmine did not go quietly into the night however, as Bailey Venard came up with a clutch kill to knot it back up, Bland forced a JU attack error off of a block, and Hagan slammed the door shut with a kill that left no doubt as the Knights showed great resolve in a 17-15 fifth set victory.

The close nature of the match is reflected in the overall stats as both teams finished with a .230 hitting percentage.  Bellarmine held slight advantages in kills (61-56) and digs (66-57).  

Hagan led the Knights with a career-high 13 kills and a .346 hitting percentage.  Venard had 11 kills, marking her sixth consecutive double-digit kill game and ninth overall on the season.  VanHoy posted a double-double with 11 kills and 24 assists, her third consecutive double-double and fifth overall on the season.  Macie Garrison posted her third double-double of the season with 10 digs and a team-high 27 assists.  Nauert posted a season-high five service aces.

The Knights will remain in Jacksonville tonight and will take on the North Florida Ospreys on Saturday at 1 PM.