MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat volleyball team utilized three intense sets to push the Bluefield University Rams (18-9, 14-4 AAC) to the brink inside McAlister Gymnasium Tuesday evening. Though the Cavaliers kept each frame as close as possible against the visiting Rams, Bluefield swept Montreat in a trio of tight sets (25-23, 25-23, 30-28).
 
In the opening frame, the Cavs initially held a 4-3 advantage before the Rams spouted off seven straight points to go up 10-4. Montreat chipped away at the deficit, eventually tying the set at 14. Three kills from Kamryn Wolf, who ended the first with four kills, put the home team on top by three (19-16); however, Bluefield immediately responded to restore a two-point edge until the conclusion of the frame.
 
Set number two featured a similar pattern with the Cavaliers taking an 11-6 lead behind kills from five different players after being knotted at five in the set. The teams traded points until late when the Rams used an 11-4 stretch and their best hitting frame of the evening (0.205) to go up 2-0 in the match.
 
Montreat attempted to extend the contest with their most kills in a set (14), storming out of the gate by capturing eight of the initial 11 points of the game. Despite the early deficit, Bluefield notched quick 7-1 and 4-0 spurts to lead by four late (19-15). The Cavaliers answered with a never-say-die attitude to even the set multiple times (the set had 15 ties) and stave off three match points before bowing out on the fourth.
 
Wolf finished the competition with a team-high 14 kills, while Katie James added 32 assists offensively. In the back row, Cambria Bowen captained the Cavs with 18 digs, and McKinley Edmondson contributed with 10. The Cavaliers tallied eight blocks to Bluefield's five, but the visitors edged Montreat in services aces 6-1.
 
"Tonight, I think we did a good job of adjusting to the mistakes we made against Bluefield the first time we played them, but we just couldn't finish," stated head coach Haley Paonessa.
 
Volleyball now travels to Point for its next competition. First serve on Friday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.