Bethel Christian falls in five-set thriller to Greenville Christian
Bethel Christian’s Kelly Suggs goes up for a kill during Tuesday’s match against Greenville Christian. Photo by William ‘Bud’ Hardy / Neuse News
By Junious Smith III
Bethel Christian may have been on the wrong end of a thrilling volleyball match, but the team flashed its potential.
Greenville Christian won 21-25, 25-20, 22-25, 29-27, 15-9 Tuesday in the Trojans’ season-opener in a match with 50 ties and 27 lead changes. The Knights (3-0) were put to the brink on five occasions in the fourth set, but survived before eventually winning.
Despite the loss, there were plenty of positives to take from the game according to Bethel Christian head coach Bryant Dilda. After finishing 5-8 in his first year with an NCCSA playoff appearance, Dilda said the team can progress even more.
“For our first game, I thought we played great,” Dilda said. “We have work to do on defense, but offensively we were clicking. We have some work we need to do, but I think we’re going to be in for an exciting year.”
After the teams split the first 12 points of the first set, Bethel Christian went on a 5-1 spurt, highlighted by two service aces from Paige Cannon, to take over. Greenville Christian kept the game close and eventually tied the set at 21, but Ashley Vause’s hit, followed by an Olivia Eubanks ace triggered a 4-0 run to close it out.
In the second set, the teams combined for 11 ties and four lead changes. The Trojans went up 16-15 after a Laura Fulcher kill, but the Knights went on an 8-1 run on their way to tie the match. Greenville Christian took the first three points of the third set, but Bethel Christian scored the next five before the teams went back and forth. There were 10 ties and seven lead changes, and while Greenville Christian held a 20-19 advantage, a 5-0 run by Bethel Christian — punctuated by a block from Jessi Dawson — helped the Trojans put the Knights on the brink.
Bethel Christian’s Laura Fulcher had 10 kills and two service aces in Tuesday’s season-opener against Greenville Christian. Photo by William ‘Bud’ Hardy / Neuse News
The fourth set was the most contested with 16 ties and 10 lead changes. Neither team had an advantage of more than two until Bethel Christian’s 4-0 run — highlighted by a Fulcher kill — put the team up 18-15. Bethel Christian would have match point at 24-21, but Greenville Christian rattled off three straight. The teams traded the next four points and a Dawson block gave the Trojans a 27-26 lead, but the Knights scored the final three points to force a fifth set.
A pair of Eubanks service aces put Bethel Christian up 5-4, but it would be the Trojans’ last lead of the game. Greenville Christian scored three straight and while Bethel Christian tied it twice — the final time at 9 — the Knights recorded the final six points to end the match.
Fulcher said the team competed every point and have grown tremendously from last season.
“We’ve got more heart and determination this year,” Fulcher said. “We’re all working together and we’re not afraid to hit the ball.”
Teammate Kelly Suggs said Bethel Christian could have a successful campaign.
“I think we can be good this year,” sio said. “I wasn’t here last year, but I know we’ve got the ability to become a better team.”
For Dilda, he believes the Trojans can have their first winning record since 2015.
“We only lost one starter last season and six of our sophomores played as freshmen in 2018,” Dilda said. “I’ll be disappointed if we don’t have a winning record this year.”
Fulcher and Suggs each had 10 kills for Bethel Christian. Eubanks had five service aces, Dawson added five blocks, Vause contributed four blocks and Johanna Banks provided 17 assists.
