BELMONT — After opening fair week with a sweep over Cassville on Monday evening, the Belmont volleyball team kicked up the celebration a notch by winning a five-set thriller over Highland in Six Rivers West action at BHS on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
Senior Keegan Kamps tallied 11 of her 18 kills in sets two and three to rally the Braves (4–2–1 overall, 2–1 in SRW) from an early 1–0 deficit, while senior Brianna Riechers served up two of her team-high three aces during a key service run in set five that allowed Coach Lauren Runde’s squad to pull out a 3–2 victory over her sister Maria Wineski’s Cardinals (4–3–1, 2–2).
Highland flew out to a quick lead in set one with junior Bailee Rose serving up nine straight points to give her team an 11–1 advantage.
Belmont fought back within four points at 20–16 thanks to a six-point service run by senior Katelyn Schobert, but the Cardinals pulled away down the stretch for a 25–21 decision.
The Braves grabbed early leads in games two and three and never trailed in either set behind some stellar play at the net by Kamps and her teammates. The senior hitter scorched six kills in set two as the Braves tied the match with a 25–18 win and she added five more kills in set three to help the hosts take a 2–1 lead with a 25–19 win.
Riechers added three blocks kills in those two games, while senior Jannie deHaan hammered four kills and junior Alie Klein scored three kills in the Braves’ wins.
Highland evened the match to two sets apiece by outlasting the Braves, 25–22, in a back-and-forth battle in set four, and the Cards opened up an early 4–2 lead in the decisive fifth set before the Braves caught fire.
A spike kill by Kamps cut the Cardinal lead to 4–3 and gave the Braves the serve, and Riechers took over from there, serving up five straight points with two aces to put the Orange-and-Black ahead to stay ay 8–4.
Highland never got closer than three points the rest of the way as deHaan slammed down a pair of kills and Klein added a block kill and a tip kill down the stretch to lead the Braves to a 15–7 decision and a 3–2 match victory.
DeHaan finished with 12 kills on the night. Riechers added four kills along with five blocks and three aces, while Klein tallied five kills.
Schobert distributed 40 assists and had two aces for the Braves, and sophomore libero Maddie Rand recorded 29 digs in he match.
Senior Brenna Bomkamp had 13 kills and four blocks to lead the Cardinals. Morgan Hach tallied 13 assists along with Karen McMannes, and Hack also served up three aces along with Rose.
Belmont is in action at Potosi on Thursday, Sept. 18, and the Braves host Shullsburg in a Six Rivers West affair on Monday, Sept. 22.
Belmont 3, Highland 2
(from Tuesday, Sept. 9 @ Belmont)
Highland 25 18 19 25 7
Belmont 21 25 25 22 15
Belmont stat leaders
Kills: Keegan Kamps 18, Jannie deHaan 12, Alie Klein 5, Brianna Riechers 4. Blocks: Richers 5. Assists: Katelyn Schobert 40. Aces: Riechers 3, Schobert 2. Digs: Maddie Rand 29.
