BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. - Faulkner (5-8, 1-4 SSAC) fell behind early and couldn't make up ground in a loss via sweep (16-25, 20-25, 23-25) to Blue Mountain Christian (11-2, 3-0 SSAC) on Friday night. 

The Lady Eagles were done in by committing 11 more errors than BMCU, as the Volley Toppers outhit Faulkner .209 to .080. The visitors held 2-1 leads in all three sets, but the latest lead they held in any period was 6-5 in the final one as the hosts took control and withheld Faulkner rallies each time. 

The first set lead by Faulkner was neutralized by a massive 17-3 BMCU run. The most sustained Topper run in the second frame was just 7-1, but it was enough for the 2-0 lead as the squads mostly went back and forth from there. In the third, after three straight points went to BMCU, the Lady Eagles took the lead back at 6-5 on a service error, a pair of attack errors and a kill by Kendall Rice.  

That was the last time Faulkner would lead as the Toppers broke off a 5-1 run in response, as well a later run of 8-1 to go up 19-11. After a trade of kills, the Eagles pushed the hosts with an 11-2 run starting with a pair of kills by Allyse Rudolph before one by Salice Speed, the SSAC leader in kills per set. Rudolph and Riley Deem blocked a Speed attack on the next rally before Deem put down a kill and Rudolph served up consecutive aces to get within 21-18. Speed scored another kill before Kaleigh Moss and Madison Martin scored kills on block errors and Addison Smith scored on an ace to improbably bring Faulkner within one. After a trade of points, Marissa Gerleman scored a kill for match point. Charlee Jordan brought her team within one point once more at 24-23 before Gerleman killed it again for the match. 

The Lady Eagles travel to Pulaski, Tenn., for a tri-match hosted by SSAC rival Tennessee Southern tomorrow as they will take on the host Firehawks at 1 pm and Lindsey Wilson at 3 pm.