BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Belmont volleyball (1-3) fell to No.16 Western Kentucky in four sets on Tuesday night.
Belmont won the opening set, 25-22 after the squad jumped out to an early 3-1 lead. The set saw the score tied 13 times. A run sparked by a Jessica Vestal (Concord, Calif.) kill put the Bruins ahead by three, 11-8, but Western Kentucky responded and both teams exchanged points.
The Hilltoppers took 21-20 lead, but three consecutive errors by WKU gave Belmont a two-point advantage, 23-21. The Bruins held off WKU with a block from Scarlet Gable (Munford, Tenn.) and a kill from Vestal to win the first set.
In set two the Bruins jumped out to a 4-1 lead, but WKU fought back and scored six unanswered points to take a three-point lead. The Hilltoppers continued to extend their lead, leading by as many as seven. Belmont put together a couple of short runs, but WKU went on a 3-0 run to close the set, 25-17.
WKU took a three-point lead in the third set, but Belmont responded in hostile territory by scoring eight unanswered points to take a 17-12 lead, capped by a WKU error and an ace from setter Hannah Miranda (Covington, La.) The Hilltoppers battled back and tied the set at 22, but a kill from Vestal regained the BU lead. But just as Belmont appeared poised to take a two sets to one advantage, WKU closed the set on a 3-0 run to win 25-23.
With momentum having swung back in the home team's favor, Western Kentucky took control of the fourth set as they scored 10 unanswered points to take a 19-6 lead. The Bruins put together a few short runs, but it was not enough to hold off the nationally-ranked Hilltoppers as they won set four, 25-9.
Alex Martin (Ooltewah, Tenn.) recorded three service aces. Miranda had 37 assists, while Jamie Lundstrom (La Grange, Ill.) and Gable paced the defense with six digs apiece.
Belmont will continue their road swing with the Wildcat Classic at Northwestern this weekend.
