Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Despite hanging tough through two sets, Belmont University volleyball fell, 3-0, to the visiting University of Tennessee at Martin Skyhawks on Saturday afternoon inside the Curb Event Center.
Belmont fell 21-25, 20-25, 13-25 to split the weekend series with UT Martin at 1-1.
The Skyhawks (5-10, 1-1 OVC) out-blocked the Bruins 12.0 to 7.0 and finished with a .221 attack percentage on the afternoon.
Belmont (4-9, 2-1 OVC) was led by Taylor Floyd, who finished with eight kills
"We played very differently, and we seemed to have a different mentality off the bat," head coach Katelyn Harrison said. "Ultimately we need to do what we do well, and let our opponents make the changes. We've really just got to refine some details and then refocus and approach every night the way we approached last night."
In the first set, UT Martin showed no signs of the sluggish start that plagued them on Friday night, as the Skyhawks tied things at 9-9 before taking their first lead at 15-14. Later, with their backs against the wall trailing 15-19, the Bruins rattled off a 4-0 run to tie it, 19-19. A Skyhawk surge gave the visitors the final 25-21 set win.
In the second set, UT Martin led for the majority of the action, jumping in front 4-1 and later leading 12-8. Yet, Belmont strung together another quality stretch, feeding off the energy from a large Curb Event Center crowd to take a 19-17 lead on a block from Mary Catherine Ball and Izzy Schauer.
Yet, the Skyhawks would once again end on a scorching surge, riding Wake Forest transfer Olivia Saunders to a 6-1 set-ending run to secure a 25-20 victory. Despite Belmont's five blocks in the set, they found themselves in a 0-2 set hole.
In the third frame, UT Martin picked up right where they left off to end Game 2, taking Belmont out of the match with a 25-13 win on a .292 hitting percentage.
Belmont will begin a five-game road trip, beginning with a trek to Cape Girardeau, Mo., next weekend for a pair of contests with OVC foe Southeast Missouri. The Bruins will meet the Redhawks on Friday, Oct. 1, at 6 p.m. and on Saturday, Oct. 2, at 2 p.m. Both matches will be streamed 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.
