MONTREAT, N.C.— Hosting the reigning Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) regular-season co-champion Bryan College Lions Tuesday night, the Montreat volleyball team couldn't keep pace with the first-place visitors and came up short in a three-set decision. With the defeat inside McAlister Gymnasium, the Cavaliers dropped to 2-9 overall (1-3 AAC).
 
After a pair of early Bryan runs, the Cavaliers stormed back out of a timeout to seize seven of the next eight points thanks to three Katie Dickey kills and five team kills overall; however, the visitors, who were hitting worse than Montreat for much of the initial frame, started to click on the offensive end. Five Bryan kills helped the Lions claim 7 of the final 11 points, eliminating their deficit completely and taking the first set, 25-22.
 
Bryan (12-2, 6-0 AAC) surged ahead of the Cavs early in the second set, taking nine of the first 11 points due to four Montreat attacking errors, three of which came via Lion blocks. As strong as Bryan's defense was in the second set, its attack was even more efficient. The visitors hit .476 throughout the frame, building their lead to as large as 14 en route to a 25-13 set win.
 
Montreat took a page out of Bryan's playbook with a pair of blocks to start the third frame. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, despite the early defensive showing from Shalice Lynch, Haley Horton and Kamryn Wolf, it was the Lions who took the first sizeable lead of the frame. A 10-8 visitor edge quickly turned into a 20-11 lead as the Lions racked up a set-high 16 kills to seal a sweep over the Cavaliers, 25-15. The three-set sweep continued Bryan's streak of winning every set it has played in the AAC this season through six matches.
 
"This game had its highs and lows, and ultimately, we have got to continue to work as a team at every point in a game," said interim head coach Brittany Carpenter. "We have grown as a team from the start of this season, but we still have work to do."
 
Wolf led the Montreat attack with nine kills on Tuesday, while Lynch paced the defense with her five blocks. Reese Davis also racked up 17 assists, and McKinley Edmondson led the charge with 16 digs.
 
The Montreat volleyball team returns to play on Saturday for an AAC duel with the Union College Bulldogs. First serve is set for 1:00 p.m. in Barbourville, Ky.