MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat volleyball team hosted its Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) rival, the Milligan University Buffaloes, inside McAlister Gymnasium on Tuesday night, playing a five-set thriller in the process. Both teams split the opening four frames, but it was the visitors who ultimately claimed the final set and the match, 3-2. With the defeat, the Cavaliers slid to 1-8 (0-2 AAC) on the season.
 
Milligan (5-6, 2-1) started out on the front foot thanks in part to a misfiring Montreat attack. A 7-0 spurt gave the Buffaloes an 11-6 edge, and 10 Cavalier attacking errors helped the visitors close out the set in strong fashion. The Cavs hit negatively in the frame, while Milligan claimed 10 of the final 12 points to seize a 25-13 set one win.
 
A 5-0 run gave the Buffs a 14-8 lead for the second consecutive frame, but both Montreat's attack and service found new levels to completely flip the momentum. Thanks to four kills by Kamryn Wolf, as well as four Cavalier service aces, Montreat surged ahead to take 15 of the set's final 18 points and tie the match with a 25-18 score.
 
Both sides traded 7-1 runs in the third set, and a late Milligan push knotted the frame at 22-22; however, the Cavaliers once again found their groove late. Following a Montreat timeout, Wolf and Taylor Rouse racked up kills to give Montreat a set-point opportunity. Then, after a Milligan timeout, Cambria Bowen's service ace won the frame, 25-22. The Cavs' best attacking set of the night (17 kills; .268 hitting percentage) moved Montreat within one frame of victory.
 
The Cavaliers' attack veered off track in the fourth set, and Milligan made sure to take advantage. After Montreat held an 11-8 edge, the Buffaloes scored nine of the next 11 points to move back in front, 17-11. Thanks to 10 attacking errors and three service errors, the Buffs managed to take the frame by a 25-20 margin and push the match to its final set.
 
Milligan saved its most efficient attacking set of the night for the match's decisive frame. Montreat staked itself to a 3-1 advantage early, but the Buffaloes fired off nine kills and a .286 hitting percentage to seal the contest in their favor, 15-10.
 
Wolf (17), Katie Dickey (16) and Rouse (10) all registered double-digit kill totals, marking the second time this season that the Montreat trio scored double-digit kills in the same match. Dickey tied a career-high with 24 digs, and Reece Davis registered 38 assists. Bowen also tallied three service aces.
 
The Montreat volleyball team continues its three-match home stand on Friday night with an AAC duel against St. Andrews University. First serve is slated for 6:30 p.m. inside McAlister Gymnasium.