The Washington Demons suffered their first conference loss of the volleyball season Tuesday night by falling at home to Burlington in straight sets.

Washington responded to an early 6-2 deficit by scoring five straight points to take a first-set lead, but a 9-4 run put Burlington back on top, and the Grayhounds used an 8-3 spurt to end the first set and take a 25-18 win.

The Demons seemed to find their groove after a back-and-forth second set, ripping off a 5-0 run after trailing 14-13. But Burlington again had the answer, closing the second frame on a 12-4 stretch and winning the set 25-22.

While Washington would start the third set on a 5-2 run, the Grayhounds used a run of 12 straight points after trailing 12-11 to go in front and would stay there on their way to a 25-15 victory.

Junior Leighton Messinger’s double-double of 16 kills and 13 digs led the Demons on both fronts, while senior teammate Ella Greiner also stayed busy with seven kills, 11 digs and a serving ace.

Sophomore Layla Green added five kills at middle hitter for Washington, while senior setter Lauren Hinrichsen handed out 26 assists and also piled up 12 digs on defense.

The loss drops the Demons to 1-1 in the Southeast Conference and 5-8 overall. Washington will try to bounce back when they next play this coming Tuesday against Fairfield.