Coming into Saturday’s Atlantic Sun Conference match against Belmont, Troy State head coach Ginger Lowe was worried her team would come out flat. After all, the Trojans outlasted Campbell, 3-2, just 16 hours earlier in a two hour duel.

When the Bruins took the first game, 30-25, it looked like Lowe’s fears were realized.

The second game started very similar to the first, with the Bruins claiming the early lead. But TSU would battle back. With the score tied at 11, the Trojans went on a 7-1 run before Belmont stormed back and re-tied the game at 20. The teams traded points until they were knotted at 28. A kill by TSU’s Rachel Hassan gave the Trojans their first of four game points. Belmont sided out all four times and took the second game, 36-34, to put TSU on the ropes.

Belmont is a very good team," Lowe said. "We were doing anything we could to get points in those first two games."

Game three proved to be another tough battle. TSU held a 29-26 advantage but Belmont fought off

three game points before committing two hitting errors to hand the Trojans the game, 31-29.

The fourth game was all TSU. After dropping the first point, the Trojans went on a 3-0 run and cruised to a 30-21 win.

In the fifth game, TSU took advantage of the visibly tiring Bruins. With the score knotted 2-2, Holly Martin served up five straight points as the Trojans emerged with a 15-12 win.

"It’s a win," Lowe said after the match. "It’s not a pretty win, but a win. Now we can rest and get ready for Georgia State and Mercer next weekend."

Hassan paced the Trojans as she led all players with 28 kills and 26 digs. Erika VanHootegem recorded season-highs with 27 kills, 24 digs and two blocks. Erika Leitzke dished out 70 assists and had 21 digs.

For Belmont, Kati Baumgartner had a career-high 20 kills and 23 digs, while Britney Baggett notched a career-high 24 digs.

With the win, TSU improves to 8-7 overall and 3-2 in A-Sun play. Belmont falls to 4-10 and 1-3. The two teams combined for 159 kills, 224 digs and 18 blocks.

The Trojans continue their four-match homestand next Friday when they play host to preseason A-Sun favorite Georgia State. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at Trojan Arena.