Box Score
JACKSON, Miss. –Belhaven Volleyball overcame the absence of one of their captains and a frustrating fourth set loss to defeat Southern States Athletic Conference rival Mobile in five sets. The Blazers and Rams battled back and forth all match long before Belhaven took the final set 15-13 to clinch the victory.

It is never easy to replace one of the emotional leaders of your team. Belhaven had to deal with the loss of senior Natalie Davis, who was away from the team for the beginning of the week and unable to make it back in time for the match.

Replacing her was freshman Taylor Hall, a player who has seen more minutes as the season has progressed. Hall filled into the big shoes perfectly and played her best match of her young career. The freshman hitter totaled five kills, three blocks and saved two key balls from the net that turned into Blazer points.

The Blazers didn't look quite ready to play from the beginning of the match, but with every point they gained a fraction of confidence that would later serve them well.

Mobile, on the other hand, came out firing on all cylinders and looked poised to enact revenge on a Blazer team that came out of their gym with a win last month. The Rams front three were extremely aggressive from the start and unsettled the Blazers into making errors.

Kiara Gay and Disah Kolassiba punished multiple points to carry the Rams to a tight 25-23 first-set victory.

In the second set, the battle at the net continued, but this time the Blazers were able to fix the errors that plagued them in the first set and turn them into points. Taylor Williams and Morgan Hofacker stepped up in a big way and put the team on their shoulders.

Belhaven was able to reverse their fortunes, pulling out the final two points of the set to win 27-25 over the Rams.

The third set might have been the best set the Blazers have played all year. Belhaven left little doubt as to who was winning the set by racing out to an early seven point lead and never looking back. Belhaven eventually took the lead in the match with a 25-14 set victory.

With their backs against the wall, the Rams clawed their way back into the match. Belhaven was only one point away from clinching the win, but Mobile won three straight points to send the match into a winner-takes-all set.

Each team battled to a 7-7 tie, but the Blazers were able to take six of the next nine points for a three point lead and forcing the Rams to call timeout. Mobile dropped the first point out of the timeout, but then rallied off three straight to make it 14-13 Belhaven.

The rest is history, as Morgan Hofacker slammed an Erin Bradley pass into the back left corner for the game-winning kill.

Williams (17 kills), Hofacker (15 kills) and Samantha O'Malley (9 kills) all had very good nights on the offensively side of the net. Hofacker was also one of two Belhaven players to record a double-double on the night, adding 12 digs on the side.

Katherine Owen broke her own personal record and posted 35 digs, which is a single-game high during this 2012 season. Gabriella Zorzoli (18 digs) and Alyson Plyler (15 digs) weren't far behind Owen with impressive nights of their own.

Erin Bradley continued her torrid pace in assists by adding another 41 to her season total. She was the other player to record a double-double with 19 digs, which was the second best total for the team.

Belhaven had an impressive 111 digs and 10 blocks as a team.

Owen said it best after the match. “Hard work pays off,” the junior said with a smile from ear to ear.

Hard work does pay off, but so does playing as a team. In a time of adversity, that is what carried the Blazers to victory on Tuesday night.