Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The momentum that forced a fourth set was not enough to carry Belmont Volleyball to the finish line on Saturday afternoon in the Curb Event Center. The Bruins (2-23, 1-8 OVC) was held off by one of the top teams in the Ohio Valley Conference, Southeast Missouri (16-8, 8-2 OVC), 3-1.
The teams traded points to open the first set before the Redhawks used a 4-0 run to pull ahead, 9-3. Southeast Missouri was able to expand the run to 8-1 before the Bruins used kills by sophomores Taylor Floyd (Louisville, Ky.) and Mary Catherine Ball (Hendersonville, N.C.) with the help of a solo block to cut the point differential in half, 14-7. Southeast Missouri refused to let up down the stretch. A kill from junior Mackenzie LePage (Franklin, Tenn.) lifted the Bruins into double digit territory but the closest the home team would get was eight points as SEMO took the frame, 25-13.
Belmont jumped out to an early lead in the second stanza but SEMO was able to close the gap and grab a slim 5-4 lead. BU fired back with a 5-0 flurry, capped with a service ace by sophomore Carly Mason (Forsyth, Ill.). The Bruins hustled to maintain their momentum and held onto a 15-10 advantage at the media timeout. Southeast Missouri struggled to pick up its same momentum from the first set as Belmont continued to hold onto its point differential. Suddenly, the Redhawks rolled off six consecutive points to inch within one, 22-21, forcing BU to burn one of its timeouts. Immediately after the brief break, Belmont regained control, using back-to-back kills from LePage and Floyd with the help of a block assist by newcomer MacKenzie Harless (Brownsburg, Ind.) and Floyd to seal the 25-21 win. It marked the first time since October 12 that an opponent as was able to take a set off SEMO.
The third frame was a hotly contested back and forth battle from the whistle, with six early scoring stalemates. Southeast Missouri State was able to use a 4-0 run to put space between the teams, pulling ahead 13-8. Belmont called for a huddle session looking to slow down their visitor but SEMO was able to stretch the run to a total of six straight points to pull away by the midpoint of the set. Southeast Missouri used another 4-0 run late in the set to help record the 25-14 set victory.
The final set looked to be another tight race from the start as SEMO, lifted by a 3-0 run, went up 10-4 before freshman Lauren Walsh (Torrance, Calif.) drilled a kill near the back line to start a reciprocal flurry for the Bruins. Belmont had pulled to within two, 10-8, and the Redhawks were forced to burn a timeout. BU went on to extend its streak to a total of seven straight points, 11-10, to gain the lead for the first time in the stanza. The teams fell into a heavy back and forth battle with the score being locked six times. Finally, SEMO was able to use three consecutive points to pull ahead, 21-18. The spurt was enough to push the Bruins call for a huddle session. After the brief break, the Redhawks continued to surge and despite late kills from LePage and Walsh, Southeast Missouri was able to hold out for the 25-20 win.
For the match, junior Mackenzie LePage (Franklin, Tenn.) recorded 11 kills. Sophomore Taylor Floyd (Louisville, Ky.) followed with 10 kills and notched a double-double with a team-high 12 digs. Classmate Carly Mason (Forsyth, Ill.) tallied 24 assists and finished with a double-double after collecting 11 digs. Senior Akia Warrior (Fort Worth, Texas) posted 12 assists and 10 digs for her second double-double of the season. Sophomore Mary Catherine Ball (Hendersonville, N.C.) collected her fourth solo block of the season while freshman Kailee Bass (Aurora, Ill.) posted her ninth of the season. Freshman Lauren Walsh (Torrance, Calif.) finished with a career and team best two service aces.
Belmont returns to action on Friday, November 1 in the Curb Event Center, hosting Eastern Kentucky. Match time is set for 6 p.m. Live stats will be available and the matchup can be seen live on ESPN+. Fans may also follow the team's Twitter account (@BelmontVB) for live, in-game updates.
