Box Score
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Belmont University volleyball battled all afternoon with OVC-front runner Morehead State, but in the end the Bruins fell in straight sets, 3-0, to hand Morehead State their 14th straight victory.
Belmont (9-17, 7-9 OVC) fell 18-25, 21-25, 21-25, in their final regular season road match of the season.
Lauren Walsh shined for the visitors, nearly finishing with a double-double after tallying nine kills to go along with a season-high 14 digs.
Laura Shoopman led the way offensively for Belmont, picking up ten kills on 28 swings. Carly Mason again was a do-it-all performer for Belmont, recording 15 assists with eight digs, four kills, and a block.
Mary Catherine Ball led Belmont's net presence, picking up four block assists. Sydney Willis and Kailee Bass each added three block assists.
Among the bright spots, the Bruins did well keeping two of the top players in the conference, Olivia Lohmeier and Abby Hulsman, in check.
"We did a good job of holding Lohmeier and Hulsman to .175 combined hitting," head coach Katelyn Harrison said. "Obviously we had some good moments--but we weren't able to sustain over the course of the match. We will regroup and be ready to attack Tennessee Tech."
The opening frame saw Shoopman and Walsh both get off to solid starts, combining for six kills and a couple of service aces. After trailing 4-1, Belmont rattled off a run to tie things at 7-7. The Eagles (18-9, 14-2 OVC) would again put some distance between themselves and the Bruins with a 14-11 lead, but Belmont battled back to tie things at 15-15.
From there, it was all Morehead State, as the home side finished the first set on a 10-3 run to take the 1-0 set lead with a 25-18 win.
In the second set, Belmont dominated at the net to the tune of four blocks. A Kailee Bass solo block and three block assists from Mary Catherine Ball allowed the Bruins to impose their will on the way to leads of 8-6 and 14-11.
However, Morehead State would chip away at the Belmont lead and eventually took a 17-16 lead, before pulling away for the 25-21 set win.
In the third and final frame, Walsh began to heat up for Belmont, picking up four kills on just nine attempts to go along with six digs to lead the Bruins to just a one-point deficit at 11-10.
In all, the Bruins forced three lead changes and five ties in Game 3. Yet, a few too many attack errors down the stretch hindered Belmont's ability to mount a comeback, and Morehead State was able to hold off the visitors with a 25-21 set win to clinch the sweep.
The loss is Belmont's seventh in a row to Morehead State, the defending OVC champions.
Belmont will return to the Curb Event Center on Friday, Nov. 12, and Saturday, Nov. 13 for their final two matches of the regular season. The Bruins will welcome Tennessee Tech to town on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 11:30 a.m. for Senior Day. Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Follow Belmont volleyball on social media - @BelmontVB on Twitter and @belmontvball on Instagram - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
