GREENEVILLE, TENN. - Brevard College's volleyball team ended its two-match skid on Saturday with a 3-0 victory over Tusculum. With the win, Brevard improves to 11-15 overall and 8-12 in the South Atlantic Conference.
Entering the match Tusculum (11-16, 8-13 SAC) had a half game lead over BC for eighth in the league standings. With the top eight teams advancing to the Conference Championship, Brevard now has a half game lead plus the tiebreaker since they won both contests against the Pioneers. It is the first time since the Tornados joined the NCAA that they have swept the regular season series with Tusculum.
Brevard trailed for the majority of the opening set, forcing a couple of early ties but trailing 15-10 in the middle of the stanza. Brevard muscled its way back from the deficit and took its first lead of the night at 18-17. The two sides exchanged points for the remainder of the set, with back-to-back blocks from Hannah Elmore and Gharachorloo to give BC the first set point at 24-23.
Tusculum forced extra volleyball in the set with following point making it the first to score two in a row the winner of set one. Brevard kept the advantage in extra play and won 28-26.
Elmore set the tone of the second frame early with a pair of kills to put Brevard up 2-0. Brevard had its best offensive set of the afternoon in the second, posting 17 kills on a .424 clip to muscle a 25-17 victory. Tusculum was able to force four score ties in the early phase of the set, and even get a lead at 7-6, but the Tornados were able to take the lead back of a DeMoss kill and never look back. With Brevard slowly pulling away at 16-13, the visitors went on a 6-0 run to put the set out of reach at 22-13.
Facing elimination, Tusculum came out of the break with a 3-0 run. Brevard was able to take its first lead of the finale in a 6-0 spree that put the Tornados ahead 9-6. Late in the set, Tusculum was able to get a two point advantage at 22-20, but a 5-1 rally from Brevard ended the contest.
Elmore led the offense with 11 kills while Erin Barr had six off a game-high .545 kill percentage. The sophomore setter also had a team-high 31 assists.
Fatima Gharachorloo anchored the defense with a game-high 25 digs, with Aleksandra Vrvilo having 20. Gharachorloo and Elmore teamed up for three assisted blocks in the sweep with Savannah Cox and Whitney DeMoss pairing up for two.
Brevard controls its postseason fate playing at home against Queens on Nov. 13 and Catawba on the 14 to conclude the regular season.
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