Belhaven University Athletics

JACKSON, Miss. - Belhaven pushed CCS leader Covenant past 25 points in the opening set Saturday at Rugg Arena, winning it 29-27 before the Scots rallied for a 3-1 victory. Covenant had won 33 of its first 34 sets in CCS play this season before the Blazers took the first. The Scots won the remaining sets 25-11, 25-17 and 25-14.

The opener featured 17 ties and 10 lead changes. Belhaven led 23-21 before Covenant moved ahead 24-23, but an attack error and a block by Megan LaCour and Cami Davis gave the Blazers a set point. Covenant answered and later led 27-26. Laila Gauthier tied it with a kill, an Aubrianna Gerdes attack error put Belhaven back in front, and Gauthier delivered another kill to close the set.

Covenant responded in the second, hitting .387 and turning a 17-9 lead into a 23-9 advantage with six straight points. Belhaven briefly took an 8-7 lead in the third on a four-point stretch capped by a LaCour kill. The Scots regained control with three consecutive points after leading 10-9 and went on to win the set 25-17.

The Blazers led 11-8 in the fourth after an Angel Edwards service ace. Covenant scored the next seven points to move ahead 15-11, then closed the match on a five-point run.

Gauthier led Belhaven with 12 kills. Tarryn Woodall added eight kills and 10 digs, while LaCour finished with six kills and a match-high 26 digs. Edwards recorded 14 assists and 13 digs, and Maggie Joy Tomlin supplied 13 assists. Goldie Lowe had two solo blocks and two block assists; Davis also contributed four block assists.

Belhaven matched Covenant with 73 digs and held an 8-5 edge in team blocks. The Scots finished with 61 kills and a .237 hitting percentage to the Blazers' 33 kills and .083. Avery Maiden led Covenant with 17 kills, followed by Gerdes with 14.

Belhaven (11-12, 6-5 CCS) wraps up conference play next Tuesday at Huntingdon. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Montgomery, Ala.

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