The Belmont Abbey women's volleyball team opened the 2012 season with a pair of 3-0 wins at the Firebird Volleyball Classic, hosted by the University of District of Columbia. The Abbey swept Bowie State 3-0 by scores of 25-10, 25-8 and 25-11. Two hours later, the Crusaders dispatched the hosts in straight sets by scores of 25-11, 26-24 and 25-14.

This morning, the team took a tour of the nation's capital, which included a stop at the world's largest office building, the Pentagon.

In the opener against Bowie State, the Abbey had little trouble as it picked up the victory in just under an hour. The Crusaders hit a torrid .436 for the match as freshman Caitlin Hankins hit .900, posting nine kills on ten attacks with no errors. Hannah Schellenberg accumulated a .778 attack, knocking down seven kills with no errors on nine total attacks. Tori Jensen added four kills with no errors on five attacks (.800) and Jacquelyn Grigsby, a freshman in her first collegiate action, totaled three kills on four attacks with no errors (.750). Kay Schellenberg handed out 28 assists.

Belmont Abbey hit .500 in the first set, .667 in the second and .393 in the third. Defensively, the Crusaders kept Bowie State in the negative attack all day, as no Bowie State player finished with more than two kills as it hit -.236 for the match. Julianne Pisano led all players with eight digs.

In the second match of the day, the Abbey was threatened only in the second set as it battled out a 26-24 win. Hannah Schellenberg, the younger sister of Kay and Lydia, knocked down a match-high 14 kills with three errors on 27 total attacks (.407). Lydia Schellenberg added nine and nine digs. Angela Jubb posted seven kills and a match-high 13 digs. Kay Schellenberg handed out 33 assists along with four service aces, three block assists and eight digs. Remick Tiller posted ten digs and three service aces. Hankins registered a pair of block assists.

Belmont Abbey hit.294 for the match and held UDC to a .067 attack. The Crusaders notched a .440 clip in the first set, .146 in the second and ended the match on a .361 percentage.

The Crusaders will close out the Classic with a pair of matches on Saturday, taking on Virginia State at 8:00 a.m. followed by a 4:00 p.m. matchup with Elizabeth City State.

Bowie State Box
UDC Box