ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. -- Belmont Abbey closed out the non-conference portion of its schedule Saturday, splitting a pair of matches on the second day of the 2026 Viking Classic. The Crusaders defeated host Elizabeth City State 3-0 (25-12, 26-24, 25-16) before seeing a late rally fall short 3-2 (15-10) to Kutztown.
With the results, Belmont Abbey sits 5-2 overall through the first two weekends.
BELMONT ABBEY 3, ELIZABETH CITY STATE 0
- Belmont Abbey dominated offensively, hitting .322 with 37 kills.
- Renata Bolado led the Crusaders with 11 kills while hitting .435 and added 19 digs and a service ace.
- Sophia Kane turned made her season debut by recording eight kills on 10 attempts with no errors for a .800 hitting percentage. She also added a block for 10.5 points.
- Emma Youngblood directed the offense with 19 assists, while Zoey Bradford added 13 assists.
- Sheridan Young anchored the defense, matching the team high for digs with 19.
- Belmont Abbey set the tone out of the gate, hitting .440 with 14 kills and only three errors in the opening set. The Crusaders pulled away late to take the first frame, 25-12.
- The second set featured a much tighter battle, with Belmont Abbey overcoming a late Elizabeth City State rally to take a 2-0 lead, 26-24. The Crusaders finished the set with 11 kills and hit .222.
- Belmont Abbey closed out the sweep by hitting .346 in the third set, recording 12 kills against just three errors. The Crusaders pulled away from a 12-12 tie and finished the match on a 13-4 run to win 25-16.
- The Crusaders finished with nine service aces, including three each from Mallory Swain and Young.
KUTZTOWN 3, BELMONT ABBEY 2
- Belmont Abbey turned in one of its best offensive performances of the season, recording 57 kills and hitting .381 for the match. The Crusaders also finished with 56 assists, 82 digs, 11 service aces and six total blocks.
- Bolado led all Crusaders with 17 kills while hitting .552. She also added 24 digs and a team-best 17.0 points.
- Lola Sultenfuss posted 16 kills on 25 attempts, hitting .520.
- Tyler Case recorded 15 kills, nine assists and 16 digs, while Youngblood directed the offense with a team-high 28 assists.
- Taylor Marts added five kills and four blocks, while Zoey Bradford contributed 15 assists.
- Young chipped in 18 digs from her libero position.
- Kutztown won the first two sets before The Abbey rallied to force a fifth set. However, trailing 10-9, the Bears scored four straight and five of the final six points to win the match.
UP NEXT
- Belmont Abbey opens Conference Carolinas play next weekend with a pair of matches.
- The Crusaders travel to Southern Wesleyan on Friday night before the home opener against Erskine at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
