PEORIA, Ill. – The Belmont University volleyball team (8-9, 5-1 MVC) suffered its first Missouri Valley Conference loss of the season Saturday afternoon, falling to Bradley in three sets at Renaissance Coliseum. The Bruins battled back in the opening two frames but were unable to close out either set as the Braves earned the sweep. 

Belmont vs. Bradley (L, 0-3)

Bradley established an early lead in the opening set as Belmont worked to find its offensive rhythm. Lauren Evans sparked a response with a service ace, helping the Bruins begin to chip away at the deficit. Belmont later put together a five-point run behind Jordan Czajkowski at the service line, with kills from Sydnee Nelson and Erin McMullen and two aces from Czajkowski bringing the Bruins back into contention. Lucy Kay added a slide kill late in the frame, and an Emily Warmenhoven kill brought Belmont within two at 21-23. Bradley regained a three-point lead following a late call, and held on to take the opening set, 25-21. 

The Bruins responded with a strong defensive effort to start the second set. After a long opening rally finished with a McMullen kill, Kay recorded back-to-back blocks, and a dig from Mya Bolton followed by a Connie Kofoed block helped Belmont stay within reach. Bradley built another advantage midway through the set, but Belmont fought back behind Kauffeld's service aces and a Kay kill that tied the score at 18-18. McMullen followed with a kill to give the Bruins the lead, and Bolton added an ace as Belmont reached 20 first. The teams continued to trade points late in the frame. With the score tied at 23-23, Kauffeld delivered a down-the-line kill to even it at 24-24. Bradley ultimately closed out the set, 26-24, to take a 2-0 match lead. 

Kay helped lead Belmont offensively to open the third set as the Bruins worked to maintain a narrow advantage. Bradley battled back to tie the score at 14-14, and Kauffeld later answered with a kill to even the frame at 17-17. The Braves reached 20 points first, but Evans delivered a service ace to keep Belmont within one at 19-20. Kauffeld added another kill as the Bruins continued to fight, but Bradley held off the comeback attempt to win the set, 25-20, and complete the sweep. 

What's Bruin 

• Erin McMullen led Belmont with 10 kills while hitting .588. 
• Brenna Kauffeld recorded seven kills, three service aces and three digs. 
• Lucy Kay added six kills and a team-high five blocks. 
• Lauren Evans contributed nine digs and two service aces. 
• Mya Bolton led the Bruins defensively with 14 digs. 
• Belmont hit .314 as a team in the third set. 

Up Next 

Belmont continues its road stretch Thursday, Oct. 15, traveling to Murray, Kentucky, to face Murray State at 6 p.m. CT inside Racer Arena. The match will stream live on ESPN+, with live stats available through GoBelmontBruins.com. 

Follow @BelmontVB on X (Twitter) and @belmontvball on Instagram for complete coverage. Stay up to date with all Belmont Athletics through the official Belmont Bruins app, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.