CARROLLTON, Ga. – Fresh off a sweep, the Bellarmine University volleyball team continued its hot play on the road, cruising past West Georgia 3-1 on Friday night at The Coliseum.
 
With the win, the Knights improve to 6-11 on the year, 3-4 in ASUN play while the loss moves the Wolves to 9-10 overall, 2-5 in conference action.
 
Despite dropping the first set 18-25, Bellarmine was unfazed as the Knights went on to claim each of the next three sets by the scores of 25-20, 25-21, 25-21 to secure the win. The Knights came out ready to play to open each set, starting with a lead in three of the four stanzas. In the first set, Bellarmine jumped out to a 3-0 lead. West Georgia quickly evened the score at 5-5 before going on a run for a 12-8 lead. The Knights stayed close until the Wolves turned in a 7-1 run to break the set open 20-14 before going on to win 25-18. The Knights took an early 5-1 lead in the second and maintained control the entire set, never playing from behind. West Georgia didn't go down without a fight however, getting back within one at 14-13 and finally tying the stanza at 18-18. The Knights followed with a 5-0 run to jump back in front 23-18 before claiming the final two points for a 25-20 victory. The third set was all BU to start as the Knights quickly took a 7-1 lead before extending to a nine-point lead at 13-6. The Wolves continued to fight, getting all the way back within two at 20-18 but Bellarmine would not be denied as they never trailed, taking the set 25-21. For the first time in the match, West Georgia scored the first point of the set, taking a 1-0 lead in the fourth. The Knights quickly answered as they jumped in front 3-1. From there, the game went back-and-forth with neither team able to secure much of a lead. Bellarmine won the race to 15 with a one-point lead. After West Georgia tied the stanza 15-15, Bellarmine took the lead right back at 16-15 and never looked back as the Knights went on to secure the set 25-21. With the win, Bellarmine has won back-to-back ASUN matches for the first time this season.
 
Four Knights registered double-digit kills in the match, led by sophomore Natalie Bland with 15. Bland also contributed 13 digs, one assist, one block and one ace on the night as she turned in her seventh double-double of the season. Behind her, fellow sophomore Maddie Hagan tallied 13 kills, adding four digs and a block. Senior Anna Purichia was next with 12 kills, adding a dig while hitting .276 with sophomore Erika Smith rounding out the group with 11 kills, a .500 hitting percentage, three blocks and a dig. Junior Kylie Van Hoy was once again on triple-double watch as she recorded 46 assists, one shy of tying her career-high, a career-high 19 digs, six kills, one block and one ace. Although she finished four kills shy of the triple-double, Van Hoy still registered her team-high eighth double-double of the season. Grad student Mara Perry continued her stout defensive play, notching 17 digs on the night, adding three assists and an ace. Perry's 17 digs mark her fourth straight contest with 12+ digs and her 14^th match of the season in double-digits.
 
Up next, Bellarmine will close out its short two-match road trip on Sunday, October 20 in Charlotte, N.C. when the Knights face off against Queens at 1 p.m. in the Levine Center.
 
For more coverage of Bellarmine athletics, follow BUKnights on X, Instagram and Facebook.