SPRINGFIELD, Ill.—The Bellarmine volleyball team dropped a straight-sets decision to the host Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars on Tuesday evening in a Great Lakes Valley Conference match at the TRAC.
 
Although the Knights failed to capture a set, they pushed their hosts in every game, making them work overtime to win the first two sets (26-24, 27-25).  Then, in the final frame, Bellarmine fought back from a 20-12 deficit and got within three at 21-18 before the Prairie Stars closed out the match with a 25-19 win.
 
Illinois Springfield essentially won the match on the defensive end, where they turned defense into offense with 12 team blocks compared to just one for the Knights. The Prairie Stars also held a slim margin (65-64) in digs.
 
Jacquie Hornung led three Knights in double figure kills with 12 and tied Alli Splitt of UIS for match-high honors. Bellarmine, which owned a 50-46 advantage in kills, got 10 apiece from Katie Adams and Abbie Oetting.
 
Hornung added 15 digs to her night's work to chalk up her fourth double-double on the year. Freshman Bailey Roszman just missed the feat by totaling 11 digs and nine kills.
 
Bellarmine setter Kristen O'Toole racked up 43 of the Knights' 45 assists while Jordyn Kuchenbrod finished the night with 20 digs.
 
The Knights fall to 7-4, 1-2 GLVC, and the Prairie Stars improve to 8-3, 2-0 GLVC.
 
Bellarmine continues its challenging start to the GLVC season with two more league matches on the road this week. On Friday, the Knights tangle with the fifth-ranked Lewis Flyers, and on Saturday, Bellarmine stops in Indianapolis to take on the Greyhounds, who are 8-3, 3-0 GLVC.
 
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