Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont (1-1) fell to Western Kentucky (2-0) in the second match of the Belmont Invitational, 1-3. The Bruins led early, 1-0, but the Lady Toppers battled back to take three straight sets and win the match.
The Bruins came bursting out the gate, jumping on the Lady Toppers early in first set. Belmont established a lead and never looked back, taking the first set 25-17. The Bruins hit .306 and held WKU to under .200 in set one. Western Kentucky came back in the second set, beating Belmont 16-25. WKU was much more proficient on the offensive attack in set two, hitting .324 while holding the Bruins to -.026. The Bruins hurt themselves with nine attack errors in set two. Set three was again controlled by WKU, with the Lady Toppers continuing to improve offensively, hitting .324 while Belmont managed only a .161 hitting percentage for the set. The Bruins battled back late in the set, but it was too late, as Western Kentucky claimed the third set and a lead in the match with the 19-25 win. WKU closed out the match with a 14-25 win in the fourth set.
After clicking offensively last night, Belmont struggled at times against the size of the Western Kentucky front line. For the match, the Bruins hit only .110, while WKU overcame a slow start to post a .310 hitting percentage for the match. Known for their aggressive serving, the Bruins also struggled in that department, committing seven service errors. Sophomore Jen Myer (New Braunfels, Texas) turned in five aces in the match, a new career high. Senior Maggie Johnson (Naperville, Ill.) again led Belmont in kills with 16, while sophomore Hannah Miranda (Covington, La.) paced the Bruins with 35 assists. Belmont was balanced defensively, with five players recording nine or more digs. Johnson also led the team in that category with 20 digs, while libero Jamie Lundstrom (La Grange, Ill.) turned in 12. Freshman Scarlet Gable (Munford, Tenn.) had 10 digs for the match while Miranda added 13.
