BELMONT, N.C. –
Max Kuntz and
Michael Marsans combined for 19 kills, while
Bradley Peters posted his fourth double-double of the season, but it was not enough No. 6 Belmont Abbey finished with a 45-33 edge in kills and a 20-4 edge in total blocks en route to clinching a four-set win over No. 7 Lees-McRae in the first round of the Conference Carolinas postseason tournament.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: No. 6 Belmont Abbey def. No. 7 Lees-McRae, 3-1 (25-12, 25-13, 23-25, 25-15)
LOCATION:
RECORDS: No. 6 Belmont Abbey (15-15), No. 7 Lees-McRae (8-15)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Marsans finished with a team-high 10 kills to close out his season with a 5.38 kill/set average, which continues to lead the nation and is the highest average by a Bobcat in a single season in program history.
- Kuntz finished nine kills, a block assist and four digs, while Nicholas Brewster added seven kills and three block assists.
- Peters tallied 23 assists, two service aces, four kills, three block assists, and a team-high 10 digs, with Steven Nalls also finished with five digs.
- Belmont Abbey sprinted out the gates by scoring 20 of the first 26 points and held the momentum to clinch a 25-13 win in set one.
- The Crusaders used a sizeable run in the second frame to clinch a 25-12 win in set two.
- Lees-McRae responded in the third set with an early 7-4 run, but a late run by Belmont Abbey gave the Crusaders a 21-20 lead.
- A 5-2 run by the Bobcats, fueled by two kills by Kuntz and a solo kill by Peters, Marsans, and Riley Chapman, gave Lees-McRae a 25-23 win in set three.
- Belmont Abbey clinched the first-round victory with a 25-15 win in set four.
- The Crusaders also finished with a match-high eight service aces.
FOR THE FOES:
- Matteo Miselli finished with a match-high 22 kills, while Jack Walsh and Kyle Ferguson finished with 35 assists and 12 block assists respectively.
NOTEWORTHY:
- Michael Marsans closes out the season with a 5.38 kills/set average, which is the highest average in a single season in program history and finished with 382 kills, which ranks fourth all-time in a single season.
- Lees-McRae finished with eight wins this season, which is the most in a single season since 2017.
For more information on Lees-McRae Athletics, follow the Bobcats on Twitter (@LMCBobcats), on Facebook (Lees-McRae Athletics), and on Instagram (leesmcraeathletics).
