NASHVILLE, Tenn  -  SIUE volleyball took down Belmont in straight sets Monday to sweep the season series and remain undefeated.

The Cougar defense once against stifled the Bruins, holding them to a negative hitting percentage and recording 14 blocks. The offensive effort was not to be outdone, as SIUE notched 38 kills and three service aces on the night.

"We are really proud of how hard we worked this weekend," said Head Coach Kendall Paulus. "We believe our work ethic shows in the defensive numbers today. We had different challenges and I thought we responded well"

The balanced Cougar attack was led by Rachel McDonald, who collected 12 kills, and Hope Everett, who registered 11 of her own for an impressive .529 hitting percentage. Sarah Armendariz boasted a well-rounded performance with 29 assists, 11 digs, and four blocks. Savannah Christian led all players with eight blocks, followed closely by Annie Ellis with six. Meanwhile, freshman Sydney Hummert produced yet another solid outing, recording seven kills and nine digs.

"We love how loose we played in tight situations," said Paulus. "We have so many strong arms in our gym, so our block gets challenged at a high level every day in practice, and that definitely showed this weekend."

The Cougars will return to First Community Arena on Sunday for a home matinee against defending OVC regular season champions Jacksonville State. First serve on Sunday is set for 12 p.m., and both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.