Box Score
MOBILE, Ala. – Only a day removed from a tough Southern States Athletic Conference loss at Spring Hill College, the Belhaven volleyball team rebounded nicely against University of Mobile on Saturday to get back into the win column. Strong play from Erin Bradley, Taylor Williams and Samantha O'Malley carried Belhaven to a 3-1 victory over the Rams.

Each team entered the contest 2-1 in conference play and Mobile had beaten Xavier (LA) earlier in the week, a team that handed the Blazers a loss during the Belhaven Classis two weeks ago. There is never a reason to take a conference opponent lightly and the Blazers had plenty of reasons to worry following their disappointing loss versus the Badgers of Spring Hill on Friday.

A goodnight's rest and a day without travel seemed to do the Blazers some good, as they looked all together from the get-go. The team has been plagued with slow starts for a good portion of the season, but that wasn't the case on Saturday.

Belhaven showed up from the out set, looking like the team that won five matches in a row the previous two weeks rather than the one from the night before. The squad was decisive and in sync for a majority of the afternoon.

Belhaven easily took the first set 25-13 before the Rams knew what hit them. The combo of O'Malley and Williams on the offensive side of the net was hard for Mobile to combat.

O'Malley finished with 13 kills, while Williams led the team for the fourth straight match with 14 of her own. Also impressive at the net was freshman Taylor Hall, who added the first double-digit mark of her young career with 10 kills.

Mobile settled down in the second set in what became an intense seesaw battle. Tied at 24, the Blazers were able to record the final two points of the set to take an almost insurmountable 2-0 match lead.

Not wanting to get blanked on their home court, the Rams returned the favor by taking the final two points of the set to win the third 26-24. This brought the match to a 2-1 Belhaven lead.

Belhaven, still in control of the match, fought off Mobile time and time again in the fourth set to take the final set 25-20 and ultimately clinch the 11th win of the season.

“Each one of these ladies stepped up in a big way this weekend,” said Belhaven Head Coach Jordan Lay. “We made some critical mistakes on Friday that cost us, but the team rebounded and put together a phenomenal performance against Mobile. It's a long season and we are starting to bring it all together.”

Bradley once again led the Blazers in assists with a season high 43 on the day. Her strong play on the road trip has her creeping towards 500 assists on the season.

Morgan Hofacker turned in a solid match all the way around for Belhaven, recording eight kills and 13 digs, which was good for second on the team.

On defense, Katherine Owen led the Blazers in digs with 18 and fellow defensive specialist Gabriella Zorzoli pitched in 12 of her own. Owen has led the Blazers in digs in three of the four matches she has played in since returning from injury. At the net, Williams, O'Malley and Natalie Davis combined for nine blocks.

With the win, the Blazers improve to 11-3 on the season, while the Rams fall to 12-5.

Belhaven returns to Rugg Arena on Tuesday night at 7:00 PM to battle Loyola University for their first home match in over two weeks.