Box Score
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Belhaven volleyball team started off Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament pool play with a record-breaking win over the Mariners of Coastal Georgia. The Blazers defeated the Mariners by a score of 3-0 for the second time in 2012 and won their 26th game of the year to set the new school record for wins in a season.

Success can be a subjective term in sports.

Some define success with winning championships, while others see success as constantly improving over the course of a season. Belhaven's volleyball team has had its eye on both things this season.

It might have seemed crazy when freshly-hired head coach, Jordan Lay, stated that he thought this current Blazer team would fight for a conference championship, all the way back in August. However, the team has backed up his bold claim by finishing with the best season in Belhaven volleyball history.

Regardless of what happens throughout the rest of the SSAC Tournament, Lay has been able to get his team to play like champions all season long and has also created a culture of excitement around the Blazer volleyball program.

Belhaven looked like a team that was renewed and refocused on Thursday afternoon after losing the final two regular season matches to Xavier (LA) and Loyola (NO), jumping on the Mariners from the start of the match.

The Blazers were never able to completely shake the Mariners, but they kept them off balanced enough to claim three straight sets.

Belhaven won 25-19, 25-22, 25-21, to improve to 26-8 on the year.

Erin Bradley, one the senior leaders for the team, looked to be back in the groove with 33 assists. She now needs 66 assists to break the school record for most in a career, a record currently held by Kelsey Stack.

Morgan Hofacker and Taylor Williams paced the Blazer attack with 11 and 12 kills apiece in the three-setter. Samantha O'Malley was third on the team in kills, finishing just a kill away from double figures, with nine.

Gabriella Zorzoli, who was back in the lineup as the team's libero, led the Blazers with 11 digs on the day.

Belhaven looks to complete perfect pool play when they attempt to avenge a loss to Southern Wesleyan University earlier in the season. The Chiefs took the only matchup this season 3-2, after Belhaven had jumped out to the early two set lead.

That match begins at 12:30 p.m. EST tomorrow and you can follow live stats here.