BELMONT, N.C. — King University men's volleyball faced one of the conference's hottest teams on Saturday evening, falling 3–0 to Belmont Abbey inside the Wheeler Center. The Tornado (3–6, 0–3 Conference Carolinas) battled throughout but were unable to slow down the Crusaders (7–1, 4–0 CC), who claimed the match by scores of 25–18, 25–19, 25–15.
A crowd of 162 watched Belmont Abbey hit an impressive .372 as a team while holding King to .036 across the three sets.
Set One: Crusaders Take Control Early
King opened the match with nine kills in the first set, but Belmont Abbey countered with a .375 hitting percentage and steady side-out play. Despite early ties and two lead changes, the Crusaders pulled away late to take the opener 25–18.
Set Two: Abbey Extends the Lead
The Tornado stayed within striking distance in the second set, but Belmont Abbey's efficiency at the net continued to dictate the pace. King hit -.074 in the frame, while the Crusaders posted 11 kills and took the set 25–19 to build a 2–0 advantage.
Set Three: Belmont Abbey Closes Strong
Belmont Abbey delivered its best offensive set of the night in the third, hitting .464 with 16 kills. King improved to .160 in the frame behind kills from Carson Pliapol, Dalton Claiborne, and Alessandro Fermani, but the Crusaders maintained control throughout, securing the match with a 25–15 win.
King Statistical Leaders
Offense
- Carson Pliapol: 8 kills, .120 hitting, 7 digs, 8.0 points
- Dalton Claiborne: 6 kills, .500 hitting, 1 block assist, 6.5 points
- Alessandro Fermani: 5 kills, 2 block assists, 7.0 points
- Colton Bueter: 2 kills, 1 ace, 3.0 points
- Kellen Woolm: 1 kill, 1 solo block, 1 block assist, 2.5 points
Setting
- Joao Pedro Ribeiro: 18 assists, 5 digs
Defense
- Team Digs: 31
- Team Blocks: 4 block assists + 1 solo block
King finished with 22 kills, 19 attack errors, and 84 total attempts, hitting .036 for the match.
Belmont Abbey Highlights
The Crusaders showcased a balanced and efficient attack:
- Logan Erickson: 11 kills, .391 hitting
- Caden Day: 10 kills, .533 hitting
- Zach Puentes: 10 kills, .250 hitting
- Joseph Morris: 37 assists, 5 digs
- Team Blocks: 16 block assists + 1 solo block
Belmont Abbey totaled 42 kills, just 10 errors, and hit .372 across the match.
Conclusion
King showed stretches of strong play but struggled to match Belmont Abbey's offensive efficiency and blocking presence. The Tornado will look to regroup as they continue their Conference Carolinas slate.
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