Championship Coverage

Cat Mundy sealed her Tournament MVP selection with a 15-kill performance in the championship match.
Photo Courtesy Gray Quetti / ASunPhotos.com

MACON, Ga. - Belmont made quick work of long-time rival Lipscomb, riding a 3-0 sweep to the 2008 Atlantic Sun Championship title. The Bruins take home the tournament trophy for the second time in three years and will be making their second-ever NCAA Championship appearance.

Tournament MVP senior Cat Mundy finished with a match-high 15 kills to pace Belmont. Freshman of the Year Channing Salava led the defense with eight digs, but threw up a total championship-high 79 assists through eight sets. Lipscomb sophomore and Player of the Year Alex Kelly led the Lady Bisons' attack with 11 kills and First-Team All-Conference selection Stefine "Jake" Pease put up 28 assists.

"We are just so proud of all the girls that worked so hard at this," Head Coach Deane Webb said. "That's what we told them in the locker room -- they deserve to win this. They have worked so hard with two starters out for the better part of six weeks and we have gone undefeated during that time -- that just doesn't happen. I'm just so proud of this entire group -- the leadership we have on the team and how much they have worked to make this a reality."

Belmont has now won the championship two times, both while seeded second. Lipscomb becomes the only first-seeded team to fall in the title match. Since rally scoring was instituted in 2001, only three title games have been decided in three sets.

Lipscomb took an early 11-7 lead off of five kills and six Belmont errors, but the Lady Bisons were not strong enough to protect their court. The Bruins came back and took 11 kills to go up 1-0 in the match. First-Team All-Conference selection Mundy led the offense with five kills along with Salava who notched 14 assists.

Belmont came out ready for a strong attack from the Lady Bisons, but it was the Bruins who showed their strength. Lipscomb led the first half of the set, until Belmont tied the set at 11. The Bruins quickly pulled ahead, capitalizing on several errors made by Lipscomb. Second-Team All-Conference selection Jenny Gray led the Bruins' defense with six digs, but added three kills on the attack. Pease's eight assists were not enough to get her team through to the end as Lipscomb fell to Belmont 25-21. The Bruins outhit the Lady Bisons for the set .216 to .049.

Belmont is on an 11-match winning streak which ties the school record, and its 25-win season sets a new program standard. Lipscomb’s 21-win season is a Lady Bisons program record.

This was the third time that the first-seeded and second-seeded teams faced off in a championship match since rally scoring was instituted in 2001. The last time was in 2003, when No. 1 UCF defeated No. 2 Georgia State, 3-1.

The two teams split their matches this season with each one winning on their respective home courts. The Lady Bisons won 3-0 Sept. 9 in the Atlantic Sun season opener for both teams at Allen Arena. Belmont fought off a rally by the Lady Bisons to win 3-2 at the Curb Center Oct. 28.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

All-Tournament Team
McKayla Barber, ETSU
Sara Bendorf, Jacksonville
Jake Pease, Lipscomb
Alex Kelly, Lipscomb
Channing Salava, Belmont
*Cat Mundy, Belmont
* Tournament MVP