WINSTON-SALEM, NC - Carolina University Women's Volleyball hosted the Bruins Invitational from Friday August 26th to Saturday August 27th. The invitational field was comprised of Carolina University, Clinton College, Brewton-Parker College, Toccoa Falls College, and Truett McConnell.
Carolina University's first match was against Clinton College, an NCCAA DI regional opponent. Clinton pushed Carolina U in a competitive first set, but CU prevailed with a score of 25-23. After their first victory, the Bruins seemed to find a groove and continued on to win the next two sets, taking the match 3-0.
The Bruins played later that day against Brewton-Parker College in the night cap. Carolina U came out on top in the first set but Brewton-Parker stole the second set. The Bruins were fueled by the energy of the crowd and were able to finish out the match in 4 sets with a final score of 3-1.
Saturday's slate began with a 2:00 pm match against Toccoa Falls College. The Screaming Eagles surprised the Bruins and led late in the first set. However, the Bruins rallied and were able to win the first set 27-25. Carolina University kept that momentum to roll in sets two and three and earned a 3-0 victory over TFC.
Carolina finished the weekend with a match against Truett McConnell. Leading up to this, the Bears had not dropped and this felt like the de facto championship match. Despite a really good effort and strong support, the Bruins were unable to overcome the experience of the Bears. TMC would go on to win the match 3-0.
Carolina University Women's Volleyball finished off the weekend strong under new head coach Chelsea Jones. Coach Jones and her first year assistant Ellyson Hicks have done an excellent job with this group. Hick's background in hitting has proved to be beneficial as the Bruins have been more aggressive on the attack this season. Jones has deployed a blend of returning talent and key newcomers to keep the Bruins competitive. Returners Kamra King and Chiara Mottola had a great weekend. King again leads the Bruins in assists and Mottola is a vital piece of the rotation. Newcomer Giulia La Longa made her presence known, leading CU in kills and was a true force at the net.
The Bruins will play their next match at Montreat College on Tuesday, August 30th at 6:30 pm.
