Blue Mountain Christian rallied after losing the opening set to defeat Faulkner University 3-1 on Saturday in Blue Mountain, Mississippi. The Volley Toppers won 22-25, 25-21, 25-21 and 25-23.
Faulkner took the first set 25-22, but Blue Mountain Christian responded with 16 kills in the second set to even the match. The Toppers then recorded 18 kills while hitting .333 in the third set before closing out the closely contested fourth set 25-23.
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Marissa Gerleman led Blue Mountain Christian with 15 kills and a .278 hitting percentage. Valeria Velez added 13 kills, Mattie Hopper had 12 kills while hitting .320, and Elle Clayton recorded six kills on 13 attacks without an error for a team-best .462 hitting percentage.
The Toppers finished with 62 kills and a .193 hitting percentage, compared with 40 kills and a .127 percentage for Faulkner. Blue Mountain Christian also held a 76-62 advantage in digs and recorded eight service aces.
Olivia Domino led three Blue Mountain Christian setters with 21 assists. Sydney Tague added 16 assists and Brenyn Wilbanks had 14, giving the Toppers 60 assists as a team. Abbi Williams posted a match-high 25 digs, while Olivia Lewis led the team with four blocks.
The win completed a two-day home stretch for the Volley Toppers after they swept Andrew College on Friday. Blue Mountain Christian’s next match is scheduled for next Friday night at Loyola University in New Orleans.
Jon Ross Myers founded Mississippi News Group in 2013. Before founding the organization, he worked at The Daily Mississippian, The Marion Salute and The Southern Sentinel. A Mississippi journalist and writer based in Ripley, he received second place in poetry in the 2025 William Faulkner Literary Competition for "The Garden."
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