Belmont, N.C. – The King University women's volleyball team battled through five sets on the road Wednesday evening, earning a hard-fought 3–2 victory over Belmont Abbey inside the Wheeler Center. The Tornado (10-13, 6-10 Conference Carolinas) showed resilience and composure, taking the opening two sets before holding off a late Crusader rally to secure the decisive fifth set.
Set One
King made an early statement with a well-rounded attack, hitting .185 as a team while holding Belmont Abbey to a -.054 percentage. Behind the steady play of Isabel Krick and Gracia Love, the Tornado controlled the tempo and closed out a 25–16 win to seize the momentum.
Set Two
The Tornado continued their strong start in the second frame, recording their best hitting percentage of the night at .300. Riley Nelson was a force at the net, while setter Amaya Hall kept the offense in rhythm. King maintained control throughout, finishing the set 25–17 to build a commanding 2–0 lead.
Set Three
Belmont Abbey responded in the third, finding their offensive rhythm and hitting .167 as a team. Despite 12 kills from King, the Crusaders rallied late to edge out a 25–22 win, trimming the Tornado's lead and keeping the match alive.
Set Four
The Crusaders carried their momentum into the fourth set, hitting .257 while limiting King to just .027. Despite a strong defensive effort from libero Faith Morse, who anchored the back row, Belmont Abbey pulled away for a 25–19 victory to even the match at two sets apiece.
Set Five
In a tense final set, King regrouped and delivered in the clutch. Krick and Love came through with key kills, while Capri Johnson and Princess Emma Oluwa made timely defensive plays at the net. The Tornado edged Belmont Abbey 15–13 in the decisive frame to secure the match and an important conference road win.
Key Statistics
- Final Scores: (25–16, 25–17, 22–25, 19–25, 15–13)
- Kills: King 54, Belmont Abbey 47
- Hitting Percentage: King .141, Belmont Abbey .083
- Assists: King 49, Belmont Abbey 44
- Digs: King 80, Belmont Abbey 85
- Blocks: King 7.0, Belmont Abbey 5.0
- Service Aces: King 8, Belmont Abbey 6
Individual Highlights – King
Next Match
King returns to action on Saturday, November 1, traveling to face Southern Wesleyan University (S.C.) in another Conference Carolinas matchup.
