BOWLING GREEN, KY. - - Despite being the first to score 20 points in each of the first two games, Belmont Volleyball lost at Western Kentucky Tuesday night, 21-30, 26-30, 22-30.

The Bruins were eagerly anticipating this non-conference road test against the always tough Lady Hilltoppers – a perennial power in the Sun Belt Conference and one of the top mid-major volleyball programs in the country. Belmont had won seven of its previous eight matches and seemed poised for another breakthrough victory.

Western Kentucky scored the first five points of the match before sophomore Jenny Gray (Greenwood, Ind.) got Belmont on the board with a kill. At 11-11, the Bruins claimed their first lead on consecutive aces from senior Colleen Nilson (McHenry, Ill.). Junior Cat Mundy (Dallas, Texas) followed with a kill to increase the lead to three, 14-11.

The Lady Hilltoppers tied the score briefly before Belmont reupped the margin to three, 20-17, on an error. Then unexpectedly – and eerily reminiscent to their game one loss at Tennessee Tech one week ago – Bruin errors and WKU winners accumulated in bunches. Western Kentucky scored 13 of the final 14 points of game one to win, 30-21. Belmont had just nine kills in game one.

But Belmont appeared to have a short memory as it quickly reasserted itself in game two. Behind balanced production from Gray, Mundy, and junior Emily Cahill (Lakeside Park, Ky.), the Bruins turned a 6-5 deficit into a lead of 17-12. The lead grew to six, 22-16, on another putaway from Mundy before Western Kentucky rallied.

Behind Hayley Koetter and Megan Argabright, the Lady Hilltoppers scored 11 of the next 13 points to go ahead 27-24. Mundy provided two more kills, but WKU won 30-26. Belmont outhit Western Kentucky in game two, .324 to .317

Belmont led briefly 8-7 in game three before Argabright and Jenna Gideon enabled Western Kentucky to break free. Freshman Carly Frazier (Stillwater, Okla.) was a bright spot for Belmont before the host team closed out the match.

Mundy led Belmont with a match-high 14 kills, while Nilson provided her ninth double-double of the season with 29 assists and 10 digs.

Western Kentucky hit .337 for the match – the highest output for any team against Belmont in 2007.

The Bruins (10-5) return to action this Saturday at Kennesaw State.