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bree thompson swinging
3
Winner Lipscomb Lips 5-1,2-0 ASUN
1
Liberty Lib 0-3,0-2 ASUN
Winner
Lipscomb Lips
5-1,2-0 ASUN
3
Final
1
Liberty Lib
0-3,0-2 ASUN
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Lipscomb Lips 25 21 25 25 (3)
Liberty Lib 23 25 17 14 (1)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Mark McGee

Volleyball sweeps Liberty to open ASUN

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Lipscomb volleyball coach Brandon Rosenthal asked his players two questions before the season began. With each match he is getting the answers he wants.

"I asked them do they trust their abilities and the abilities of their teammates and do they trust their coaches," Rosenthal  said. "If you can do those things and stay away from everything else you are going to be successful as a team."

Lipscomb and Liberty battled kill for kill, block or block and ace for ace through most of the way in the ASUN match Sunday afternoon. The Bisons prevailed 3-1 winning set one 25-23, losing set two 25-21 and bouncing back to take set three 25-17 and set four 25-14.

The Bisons, 2-0 for the weekend against the Flames, are 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the ASUN. Liberty falls to 0-3 and 0-2 in the conference.

Rosenthal admits the match was an exhausting one for him, especially the first two sets.

"Inside my stomach, my head, everything was in knots," Rosenthal said. "I wanted to come out on an even keel. In the first set I was asking our girls just to work.

"Liberty came out and did some nice things early to take the lead. We did not play clean, but we were able to battle. Our serving  helped a ton there. I thought defensively we added some pressure."

Set two was even more grueling mentally for Rosenthal and his players as they were unable to take control.

"Again, we weren't playing particularly clean," Rosenthal said. "We were giving away too many points. We weren't making  them work for it We have to recognize when we have  to block."

In set three the Bisons finally started coming together after their sometimes-disappointing play in sets one and two.

"In sets one and two there were just too many excuses on the sidelines and on the court," Rosenthal said. "I don't mean that to call out anybody.

"At some point in time we have to take ownership. From the players I started hearing them saying enough is enough.  We have to execute and quit making excuses. I really saw that in three and four.

Rosenthal pointed to better blocking as one of the reasons for wins in sets three and four.

"I thought we made some good adjustments at the net," Rosenthal said. "When you add pressure with the serve and suddenly you are adding pressure with the block then it gets more difficult for the
other side offensively. We didn't allow them any easy points."

Megan Kuper made a match-high 15 kills, one short of her season high set against Middle Tennessee, and led with a .439 hitting percentage. Meg Mersman added a season high 11 kills, while hitting at a .348 clip. Sami Rubal added eight kills and swung .357.
 

Bree Thompson and Kamryn Bacus came into the game and made key plays on the outside. Thompson finished with seven kills and two blocks. Bacus made five kills.
 

Delany Dilfer was credited with a match high 33 assists. Alyssa Zwolensky tied for the match high in digs with nine.

"We played everybody this weekend and we needed everybody," Rosenthal said. "We have so much depth.

"Bree and Kam gave us a spark on  the outside we needed, and they weren't in easy positions. You see it in practice every day. To see them do it in a game is great. Everyone has to come willing  to work. Every opportunity is so big."
 
 
UP NEXT
Lipscomb travels north to Louisville, Kentucky where it will battle ASUN newcomer Bellarmine in the second weekend of league play. The teams will serve it up at 6 p.m. CT on Friday and 4 p.m. CT on Saturday.
 
 
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