Western Kentucky went almost seven full years in between conference losses at E.A. Diddle Arena. That 57-match winning streak against league foes ended Sunday.

Rice’s Nicole Lennon racked up 21 kills, powering the visitors to a 3-1 (25-15, 24-26, 25-22, 25-21) victory over the Lady Toppers in a Conference USA match.

WKU’s home conference loss was its first since a defeat to then-Sun Belt Conference foe Middle Tennessee on Oct. 4, 2011. The Lady Tops won their final 25 home league matches as a Sun Belt member and first 32 since joining C-USA in 2014.

“That’s a pretty incredible number, actually,” WKU coach Travis Hudson said. “Hopefully it’ll be seven more years before it happens again. But every match is different. Every match is its own individual challenge.

“We ran up against a team that, as I said pregame, is the team I picked to win Conference USA this year. They’re balanced, they’re athletic, they’re talented, they’re well-coached. They’ve got all the pieces.”

Lennon’s 21 kills came at a .487 hitting clip for the Owls (12-4 overall, 3-0 C-USA). Anota Adekunle added 10 kills at a .571 attacking rate.

Rice posted a .331 hitting percentage while the Lady Toppers (12-6, 3-1) hit at a .192 rate. Hudson lamented 25 hitting errors that contributed to the loss.

“A Travis Hudson-coached Western team in a four-game match is usually going to be at 10-12 hitting errors,” Hudson said. …

“We had 25 hitting errors and they had 11 blocks, which means 14 times we just went up and chucked it out of bounds or in the net. Those are free points that you can’t give away against really good teams.”

Middle hitters Rachel Anderson (.281) and Lauren Matthews (.310) posted a team-best 13 kills each for WKU, while Sophia Cerino added 10. Mary Martin (45 assists), Hallie Shelton (four service aces) and Darby Music (18 digs) led the Lady Tops across those respective categories.

Martin started a match for the first time since 2016. The senior setter took over that position from Taylor Bebout on Thursday during a win at Southern Mississippi.

“Well, I think Rice gave us their best and we have to know, especially because we’ve been so good in conference all these years, that we’re going to get everyone’s best,” the Lexington native Martin said.

“I think moving forward, we have to come out ready to play for every single point because we are going to see the best of everyone.”

WKU took a 10-point loss in the first set, then regrouped to win the second. Anderson broke a 24-all tie in the second game with two straight kills off Martin assists, tying the match 1-1.

The Lady Toppers and Owls were tied 15 in the third set and WKU got to within 19-18 on a Shelton service ace. Rice ran off six of the next 10 points, with a Grace Morgan kill sealing a 25-22 game victory.

The Owls took control early in the fourth set, racing out to an 18-10 lead. The Lady Tops battled back with six of the next seven points and got to within 22-20 on another Shelton ace.

Rice finished the match by collecting three of the next four points, finished off by a Lennon kill.

“We were close, and we were right there with them the whole time,” Martin said. “I think they just made a few more plays than we did and that’s what caused them to go ahead by a couple.”

Rice – 25 24 25 25 – 3

WKU – 15 26 22 21 – 1

Lady Toppers honor alumni

WKU honored program alumni in between the second and third sets.

Those in attendance were Haley Bodway (2012-15), Alyssa Cavanaugh (2014-17), Ashley Deignan (2003-07), Rachel Engle (2012-15), Sydney Engle (2014-17), Cindy Frederick (1984-88), Kaelin Grimes (2013-16), Cynthia Potter Ingram (1981-82), Noelle Langenkamp (2012-15), Amara Listenbee (2014-17), Jessica Lucas (2014-17), Georgia O’Connell (2013-16), Ashley Potts (2010-13) and Cindy Wiseman (Hudson) (1991-93).

“I got to be around all my old teammates and I love getting to see them,” Martin said.

Up next

WKU is headed to Marshall for an early match Friday with first serve slated for 10 a.m. CDT from Huntington, W.Va.

The Lady Toppers will wrap up the road swing with a stop in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on Sunday for a 1 p.m. tilt at Middle Tennessee.

Notes

Hudson is 602-209 in his 24th season at WKU. … The Lady Toppers lead their all-time series against Rice 5-3. … Announced attendance at E.A. Diddle Arena was 602.{&end}