MILLIGAN, Tenn.— On the road Tuesday evening, the Montreat volleyball team dropped its matchup with the Milligan University Buffaloes 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-17). With the defeat, the Cavs fell to an even 4-4 overall and 0-2 in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play.
 
Kamryn Wolf led the Cavalier attack early in the opening set, killing a pair of attempts to tie the frame at five. After Montreat jumped out to a 9-7 advantage, Milligan answered with a 9-2 stretch to take control of the first set. Despite a trio of kills by Taylor Rouse on four swings and two service aces by Katie James that cut the visitors' deficit to two late (21-19), the Buffaloes captured a 1-0 lead after four consecutive points to close out the first.
 
Using the momentum gained from winning the first set, MU (3-8, 1-1 AAC) claimed eight of the initial 10 points of the second, capping a 12-2 run that spanned the end of the first and the beginning of the second frame. Taylor Coe put an end to the uneasy stretch for the Cavs with two of her three second-set kills, which kick-started a 6-3 comeback attempt that brought Montreat within a pair of points again. Coe tied Rouse for the team lead with seven kills. Although the Cavaliers kept the score close until the end of the set, Milligan took a 2-0 advantage with a five-point victory.
 
As the Cavs battled to stay alive in the match, the teams traded each of the first 12 points of the third set. The Buffaloes then utilized an 11-1 stretch to build a double-digit lead over Montreat, which proved to be the difference in the third as the Cavaliers fell by eight.
 
Overall, the Buffaloes hit 0.283 compared to the Cavs' 0.146. Nineteen attack errors by the visitors hampered their offense, while 11 free points off serves allowed MU to sweep Montreat. Although the Cavaliers struggled on the night, six attackers registered at least four kills. Cambria Bowen captained the back line with 16 digs in the three-set competition.
 
"We struggled to string points together tonight," commented head coach Haley Paonessa. She continued, "We gave away a lot of free points, which is difficult to overcome, but we have a chance to get back on track against St. Andrews on Friday."

Volleyball takes the court again in three days at SAU. First serve in Laurinburg, N.C. is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.