MONTREAT, N.C.— Taking on an undefeated Keiser University Seahawk squad in its initial two contests of the 2022 season, the Montreat volleyball team fought valiantly, but came up short in both matches to begin the year 0-2. The first competition took three sets as the visitors swept the Cavaliers; however, the Cavs took each of the first two sets in the second matchup before eventually falling in five.
 
Keiser (8-0) cruised through the opening set of game number one as Montreat failed to find its footing at the start. Offensively, the Seahawks registered eight kills and an ace to jump out to a 10-5 advantage, but a 4-0 run highlighted by a trio of service aces from Cate Hale brought the Cavs within a point. KU utilized a 15-3 stretch from that point to take the first frame 25-12.
 
The Cavaliers, who improved over the course of the match, saw their kill totals leap from four to six to nine throughout the sets. Despite the increase in offense, Montreat could not overcome 18 kills in each set from the visitors. The Seahawks claimed a 25-17 win in set two before clinching the sweep with a 25-20 triumph in the third. The fourth and final of Hale's aces gave the Cavaliers their first lead of the match (9-8) in what turned out to be the final frame, although it wasn't enough to keep Montreat alive.
 
Overall, Keiser tallied 54 kills to the Cavs' 19, while hitting 0.426 to the home team's 0.111. KU also led in the dig department (45-22), though the Cavaliers outscored the Seahawks with blocking at the net (5-0) and aces (5-4). Shalice Lynch captained Montreat with four blocks.
 
In match two, the Cavs seemed to be a different team, coming out with an intensity that helped the squad to a 2-0 lead in the contest. Using a combination of offense and defense through a powerful attack and strong blocking, the Cavaliers gained a 12-8 edge in the opening set of the latter competition. Taylor Rouse notched a team-high four kills on nine attempts in the first frame alone, while Kamryn Wolf and Haley Horton each added three kills to guide Montreat to a 25-22 win. The Cavs hit 0.200, took advantage of 10 Keiser hitting errors and combined for four blocks to go up 1-0.
 
The second set featured more of the same as the Cavaliers controlled play at the net. Wolf contributed six of her match-high 20 kills in the frame, while Rouse collected another four. Trailing 14-12, the duo powered Montreat to a 9-3 run that gave the Cavs a four-point lead (21-17). In the end, the Cavaliers held on to win by the slimmest of margins (25-23) thanks to their best set of the match (14 kills; 0.235 hitting percentage), coming within a set of their first win of the season.
 
Both the offense and defense slowed in the later sets, providing the Seahawks with an opening to gain momentum and get back into the competition. Montreat killed just eight attack attempts in the third and committed six errors, while Keiser amassed 16 kills to take a mistake-filled third frame, 25-20.
 
KU used the third-frame victory to propel itself in the fourth and fifth sets. The visitors made just one attack error through the final two games, while the Cavaliers committed 13 over the same span. Though Montreat held a 6-5 lead in the fourth, the Seahawks went on a 9-2 stretch that enabled them to triumph by 10. In the fifth, Keiser dominated thanks to a 9-1 run to start the last set, eventually winning the competition with a 15-2 victory. The difference came in the attack for each team as the Cavaliers hit negatively with five errors in the final game, while KU notched a 0.600 hitting percentage. The Cavs were also stuck on 12 blocks from the end of the third frame through the conclusion of the match as Keiser found ways to hit around the prominent wall.
 
In the second match, Wolf captained all players with her 20 kills, while Rouse ended with 13. Reese Davis finished with 42 assists, and Cambria Bowen (13), Davis (10) and Wolf (10) all concluded with double-digit dig totals. Lynch was in on six blocks to lead four players who contributed to at least four stuffs.
 
"This game showed what the potential of Montreat volleyball can look like," said interim head coach, Brittany Carpenter. "We learned a lot of what we need to work on and how we can improve. I am excited to see where this season is going to take us," Carpenter said.
 
Volleyball continues a three-game homestand with a contest against Carolina University on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.