NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The Bellarmine volleyball team dropped a four-set decision to the Atlantic Sun Conference leaders in a road match tonight as host Lipscomb University held on for a 25-20, 25-23, 21-25, 25-20 victory in Allen Arena.
 
The loss snapped a four-match win streak for the Knights as Bellarmine drops to 4-2 in league play, while the Bisons upped their ASUN mark to 6-0 to hang on to a share of first place in the league standings.
 
Bellarmine delivered a gritty performance, but ultimately fell to a strong Lipscomb attack that finished the match with a .379 hitting percentage.
 
After hanging tough in the first sets but falling short, the Knights were the dominant team in the third set when they outhit Lipscomb .481 to .250.  However, Bellarmine couldn't maintain the momentum as the Bisons flipped the script on BU and hit .533 in the closing set while limiting the Knights to just .182.  Even with the letup in the fourth set, Bellarmine posted a .280 attack percentage for the match, which is the third-best of the season.
 
Just one night removed from registering Bellarmine's first-ever D1 triple double, Kylie VanHoy continued her solid play, leading the Knights with 14 kills while hitting at a .367 clip.  The sophomore from Loogootee, Indiana also chipped in 24 assists and two service aces.
 
Other top producers for the Knights were Macie Garrison with 24 assists and three service aces while Bailey Venard and Natalie Bland recorded 11 kills apiece.  On defense, the Bellarmine leaders were Anna Lococo with 11 digs and Maddie Hagan with three blocks.
 
Lipscomb, which improved to 11-5 overall, got a 20-kill night from Courtney Jones, who also added a match-high 13 digs. 
 
The Knights will be back on the road for their next action as Bellarmine flies to Florida for matches against Jacksonville and North Florida on Oct. 13 and 14.
 
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