BARBOURVILLE, Ky.— The Montreat volleyball team squared off against the Union College Bulldogs in Barbourville, Ky. Saturday afternoon, dropping a four-set decision versus their Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) foe. Following the defeat, the Cavaliers' record slipped to 2-10 (1-4 AAC) on the year.
 
Union (8-7, 4-3 AAC) utilized a pair of early runs and an efficient attack to take the opening set from the Cavaliers. Four of the Bulldogs' first five attacks resulted in kills as Union went on 7-2 and 6-1 runs to lead Montreat 13-6 out of the gate. Six different Cavaliers registered a kill in the initial frame, but 17 Bulldog kills and a .577 hitting percentage propelled Union to a 25-15 opening-set win.
 
Montreat started the second frame with a series of errors, aiding Union as it moved ahead of the Cavaliers by six (15-9); however, when the Cavs cleaned up their attacking and blocking at the net, the set flipped in Montreat's favor. Kamryn Wolf and Katie Dickey rattled off kills, while Haley Horton and Shalice Lynch teamed up at the net defensively to pull the Cavs within a point (16-15). An Alivia McNally ace and a Taylor Rouse kill handed Montreat its first lead of the set (19-18), and another tandem block from Horton and Lynch clinched the frame for the visitors, 25-23. The Cavs tallied 15 kills and a .211 hitting percentage in their best offensive set of the day.
 
Attacking errors proved costly for the Cavaliers in set three. While Horton, Wolf and Dickey paired their kills with a Destini Phifer ace to tie the frame at 9-9 early on, it was nine total Montreat attacking errors that helped Union suddenly build a 19-11 edge. A 10^th Cavalier attacking error helped the Bulldogs close out the third set, 25-16, taking a critical 2-1 set advantage into the fourth frame.
 
Sensing momentum in their favor, the Bulldogs took advantage and got off to a hot start in the fourth set. Six kills and a .500 hitting percentage through 17 points played saw the hosts surge in front of Montreat, 12-5. The Cavaliers never gave up, however, and managed to slowly chip away at the deficit. Four consecutive points, powered by three errors and a Dickey kill, pulled Montreat level with the Bulldogs at 22-22. Unfortunately for the Cavs, Union regrouped during a late timeout. Two kills and a service ace helped shut the door on Montreat as the Bulldogs claimed a tight fourth set, 25-23.
 
"We have moments in which our connections flow great, but overall, we have to be more consistent," said coach Brittany Carpenter. "We have to work every point to make sure our energy and communication is better than it was before."
 
Five different Cavaliers tallied at least five kills on Saturday, including Dickey (10), Wolf (9), Horton (7), Rouse (7) and Phifer (5). Reese Davis paced Montreat with 22 assists, and McKinley Edmondson led the way with 19 digs.
 
The Montreat volleyball team returns to McAlister Gymnasium on Tuesday night for an AAC matchup against Tennessee Wesleyan University. First serve is slated for 6:30 p.m. in Montreat, N.C.