BLUEFIELD, VA – The Bryan College Lions volleyball team dropped a conference match to Bluefield College 3-1 (22-25, 25-15, 20-25, 22-25) on Friday night at The Dome, falling to 2-32 overall and 1-16 in conference play.
Despite taking the second set convincingly, the Lions couldn't maintain momentum against the Rams (11-10, 7-9), who controlled the first, third, and fourth sets to secure the victory.

Shelby Kelly paced Bryan's attack with eight kills and three service aces, contributing 11 points to the Lions' cause. Leah Lindquist added six kills, while Sydney Enslen and Bella Beard each chipped in with five kills apiece.

Senior setter Maya Gipson orchestrated the offense with 20 assists, while freshman Kaci Wade added 10 assists in the dual-setter system. Gipson also contributed with one service ace.

Bryan showed its potential in the second set, racing out to a 16-9 advantage behind strong serving from Shelby Kelly, who recorded a service ace, and Avery Baxter, who served up an ace of his own during a crucial run. The Lions hit .095 in the set while limiting Bluefield to a .000 attack percentage, ultimately cruising to a 25-15 victory.

Defensively, Elise Brew anchored the back row with a match-high 18 digs, while Baxter added 13 digs in his role as libero. Jessica Cornelius contributed nine digs as the Lions recorded 59 total digs as a team.

At the net, Maddison Seabolt led the blocking effort with one solo block and five block assists.

The Lions will look to regroup as they continue their season, searching for their second conference win of the year. They will head to UPIKE tomorrow morning to play at 11:00 am.