University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
4-1,0-0Big South
Bellarmine
2-2,0-0ASUN
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC Asheville | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Bellarmine | 22 | 23 | 23 | 0 |
Bulldogs Sweep Bellarmine to Open Blue Ridge Volleyball Classic
09.04.2026 | Women's Volleyball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville volleyball team opened play at the Blue Ridge Volleyball Classic at Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville on Friday with a 3-0 sweep of Bellarmine, improving to 4-1 on the season.
The Bulldogs' 4-1 start marks their best record through five matches since the 2013 season, when Asheville opened the year with four consecutive victories before dropping its fifth match.
All three sets came down to the wire, with Asheville earning victories of 25-22, 25-23 and 25-23. The match featured 14 ties and eight lead changes.
Bellarmine opened the first set on a 5-0 run and extended its lead to 8-2, forcing Asheville to call a timeout. Out of the break, the Bulldogs responded with an 8-3 run to pull within one at 11-10. A kill from Addie Brookbank sparked the rally, while a kill from Elise Jensen brought Asheville within a point.
A kill from Lydia Pate tied the set at 12, but Bellarmine answered with a 5-1 run to regain a 17-13 advantage. Asheville continued to chip away at the lead, pulling within one following a block from Sarah Wadsworth and Cadence Nichols at 21-20.
A Bellarmine error evened the score at 22 and forced the Knights to use a timeout. Asheville took control out of the break, closing the set on a 3-0 run behind another Bellarmine error, a kill from Wadsworth and a block from Jensen and Pate to secure the 25-22 victory.
The second set featured six ties and four lead changes, making it the most back-and-forth frame of the match. Bellarmine worked its way out to a 10-5 advantage before Asheville responded and eventually moved ahead 18-14.
The Bulldogs' run began with a kill from Albertine van der Goot, followed by a Pate service ace, a kill from Nichols and a block from Nichols and Brookbank that tied the score at 13. Asheville continued to build momentum with a block from van der Goot, a Brookbank kill and another Nichols-Brookbank block to take a 17-13 lead.
Bellarmine battled back to regain the advantage at 21-18 and moved within two points of taking the set, but Asheville answered with four consecutive points to close the frame. Wadsworth delivered the set-winning kill to give the Bulldogs a 25-23 victory and a 2-0 lead in the match.
The third set proved to be Asheville's strongest offensive performance of the afternoon, as the Bulldogs recorded 11 kills on 34 attempts with just three errors for a .235 attack percentage. Asheville also posted a 65 percent sideout percentage in the final frame.
The set featured six ties and three lead changes. Asheville jumped out to a 13-8 advantage before Bellarmine rallied to even the score at 20. The Knights briefly took a one-point lead, forcing the Bulldogs to call a timeout.
Out of the break, back-to-back Bellarmine errors helped Asheville regain the advantage at 22-21. A kill from van der Goot pushed the Bulldogs to match point before a successful Asheville challenge overturned a Bellarmine kill and awarded the Bulldogs the match-winning point.
Brookbank and Pate led Asheville with eight kills apiece, while Pate paced the Bulldogs with a .538 attack percentage. Jensen directed the offense with 17 assists.
Defensively, Izzy Perkins recorded a career-high 16 digs. Asheville also totaled 11 blocks as a team, with Nichols leading the way with a career-high six block assists. Brookbank added three block assists and one solo block for a career high in total blocks, while van der Goot finished with two solo blocks and two block assists.
The Bulldogs return to action at Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville on Saturday, Sept. 5, when they face Seton Hall at 4 p.m.
