Box Score
AUBURN, Ala. -- Belmont University volleyball fell in straight sets to Auburn on Saturday at Auburn Arena to bring the Bruins' non-conference slate to a close.
The Tigers (8-1) swept 8-25, 12-25, and 12-25 to hand Belmont (2-8) their eighth straight loss.
Missy Sterkel and Laura Shoopman tied for the team-high with five kills each. Rachel McBride was the linchpin of Belmont's defense, making several highlight-reel digs to extend rallies and keep Belmont in the mix during the second and third sets. The sophomore libero finished with 15 digs in the match.
The afternoon got off to a rough start for the visiting Bruins, as Auburn rolled to a quick 25-8 win in the opening set. The 8 points were the fewest allowed by Auburn this season and the fewest put up by Belmont in a set this season. The Bruins committed eight attack errors and were never fully able to get comfortable against the high-flying Tiger offense.
However, Belmont used the fresh start afforded by the second set to string together some runs and challenge their SEC opponent. Belmont trailed just 7-8 at one point before Auburn started to pull away. The Tigers ended the set on a 17-5 run to clinch a 25-12 set win.
In the third and final set, Belmont got a service ace from Peyton Kelley and some precision kills from Sterkel and Taylor Floyd, but ultimately ended up on the wrong end of a 12-25 score.
On the day, the Bruins committed 28 attack errors and hit into ten Auburn blocks.
Mary Catherine Ball, who tallied a career-high four blocks against Florida A&M on Friday night, was named to the All-Tournament Team.
"M.C. definitely brought firepower offensively and did a great job getting some big block touches," head coach Katelyn Harrison said. "I am really proud of how she handled the weekend."
The Bruins will play their eighth game in 11 days when they return to the Curb Event Center in Nashville on Tuesday night for the conference opener against region rival Tennessee State.
The match will be the first for Belmont at home since Sept. 4. First serve is set for 6:00 p.m., and all the action will be broadcast 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.
