Winston-Salem, N.C.- Blue Mountain Christian Volleyball opened the 2026 season on a winning note Friday, sweeping Spartanburg Methodist in its first match of the Carolina Classic hosted by Carolina University.
The Volley Toppers (1-0) took care of business in straight sets against the Pioneers, beginning their season with a balanced offensive performance.
Blue Mountain Christian finished the match with 39 kills while hitting .280 as a team. The Volley Toppers also totaled eight blocks and 52 digs in the victory.
Salice Speed led BMCU offensively with nine kills while hitting .241. Speed contributed across the floor with nine digs and was involved in four blocks to finish with a team-high 12.5 points.
Valeria Velez made an immediate impact in her first match as a Volley Topper, recording eight kills without an attack error on 16 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage. Velez also added 11 digs.
Mattie Hopper turned in another efficient performance for Blue Mountain Christian, finishing with eight kills on 15 attempts and a .400 hitting percentage.
Marissa Gerleman followed with seven kills and hit .263 while adding two blocks.
Olivia Lewis helped lead the Volley Toppers at the net with five block assists while adding three kills on five attempts. Lewis finished the match hitting .400.
BMCU's setters helped distribute the offense throughout the match.
Olivia Domino led the Volley Toppers with 12 assists, while
Sydney Tague added 10 and
Brenyn Wilbanks finished with nine.
Defensively,
Abbi Williams led Blue Mountain Christian with 17 digs, while Velez's 11 and Speed's nine helped the Volley Toppers finish with 52 as a team.
The victory moves the Volley Toppers to 1-0 to begin the 2026 campaign as they continue play at the Carolina Classic in Winston-Salem.
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