WKU Volleyball Sweeps Belmont In Midweek Matchup

Tuesday, September 5

Nashville, Tenn.

6 p.m. CT

Western Kentucky University

6-2

Belmont

5-3

WKU

Belmont Bruins

9/5/2017 8:24:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score WKU 3, Belmont 0 - Box Score

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Led by a pair of Lady Toppers with double-digit kills, WKU Volleyball swept its second-straight match as the Red and White took down Belmont from the Curb Event Center in Nashville in a midweek non-conference tilt. WKU improves to 6-2 on the season and 19-0 all-time against the Bruins.

"Belmont is a difficult team to prepare for and play against," head coach Travis Hudson said of the host Bruins. "They are well coaches and play very hard. We had to fight tonight but made enough plays to head back to Bowling Green with a win."

Out to a quick 6-1 lead to open action from Nashville, WKU forced Belmont to use its first stoppage just seven points into the match. The Lady Toppers went on to extend that lead to 10-4 and then 14-6 at which point Alyssa Cavanaugh tallied an ace from behind the service line to force Belmont's second stoppage. Sydney Engle's first night of the match gave WKU an 18-9 lead before the Red and White closed the frame with a 25-16 victory. The Lady Toppers hit .400 on the offensive attack with 12 kills on 25 attempts.

Second-set action saw WKU Volleyball strike first again as the Lady Toppers jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead and then ahead to an 8-2 advantage. Belmont hung around and WKU's five point lead at 13-8 disappeared by the first of three ties in the set at 16-16. After the sides traded points, the Lady Toppers strung together three points capped by a Jessica Lucas kill to force a Belmont timeout at 20-17. WKU closed the set with a 25-22 on a Belmont service error.

Belmont came out of the intermission and jumped ahead to a 5-2 lead before WKU battled back and knotted the decisive set on a Taylor Dellinger solo block. After a Dellinger kill tied things up at 14-14, the Red and White would not trail again, scoring eight of the next 10 points to open up a 21-16 advantage. The Bruins hung around but WKU closed the books on an Emma Kowalkowski ace for the final 25-19 margin. WKU closed the match on an 11-5 run. Cavanaugh came on strong to close the match with five of her 10 kills coming in the final frame.

Lucas helped facilitate the offense to a .369 hitting percentage on the night with 37 kills on 84 swings. Lucas herself added a pair of kills in addition to five digs, three blocks and 31 assists.

WKU racked up four aces on the match as Hallie Shelton notched a pair in addition to Cavanaugh and Kowalkowski.

Seven Lady Toppers tallied a kill in the match led by Rachel Anderson (11) and Cavanaugh (10) both in double digits. Engle was next with five followed by Kayland Jackson and Dellinger with four each.

Additionally, Engle led the way in the dig column with seven while Anderson and Darby Music each added six. Lucas and Kowalkowski both contributed five digs.

At the net, three WKU student-athletes registered a trio of blocks or better including Anderson who led the way with five, Jackson and Lucas. Dellinger added two while Engle and Cavanaugh each chipped in one as the Lady Toppers recorded nine blocks on the night.

WKU Volleyball returns to the friendly confines of Diddle Arena this weekend to host its annual Holiday Inn University Plaza Hotel Invitational. East Tennessee State, Pittsburgh and Saint Louis will come to town for the two-day event that spans Friday and Saturday.