ELIDA, Ohio— The Montreat volleyball team closed out its two-day Ohio trip on Saturday at the Racer Classic, hosted by the University of Northwestern Ohio. Despite a series of close sets and late surges, the Cavaliers were outpaced in both matches, losing the opener against Goshen (Ind.) in three sets before being defeated in five sets against the tournament hosts. After the pair of defeats, the Cavaliers' record now stands at 1-6 overall.
 
Goshen (2-8) had the more efficient attack of the two sides in the first match's initial set. In a frame in which the Maple Leafs tallied 19 kills with a .300 hitting percentage, it was Goshen that led 11-6 early on. Montreat did chip away at its deficit, and a string of kills by Kamryn Wolf and Destini Phifer put the Cavs ahead late, 24-21; however, Goshen's consistent attack made the difference, winning six of the final seven points to take the opening set via a 27-25 score.
 
Montreat started quickly in set No. 2, but a 7-0 Goshen run flipped the script in the Maple Leafs' favor. Goshen grew its advantage to 20-11 and seemed poised for an easy frame win, but the Cavaliers had other ideas. A 6-0 run and a 5-0 run saw Montreat surge ahead of Goshen, 25-24, but like the first set, the Maple Leafs made fewer mistakes late. A service error and two Cav attacking errors helped hand the second frame to Goshen, 28-26.
 
In the opening match's final set, Goshen started to separate itself from the Cavaliers midway through the frame. Four consecutive Maple Leaf points built their lead out to 15-9, and behind their best hitting frame of the match (.350 hitting percentage), the Leafs continued to expand their lead until the set's 25-15 conclusion.
 
Taylor Rouse was the only Cavalier to reach the double-digit kill mark in Montreat's first match, totaling 10 kills across three sets. Katie Dickey added nine kills and two service aces, while Wolf contributed eight kills. Reese Davis had 22 assists, and Cambria Bowen paced the Cavs with 23 digs.
 
Northwestern Ohio (7-5) looked sharp in the opening set of match No. 2, hitting .464 throughout while racking up numerous aces. Along with the Racers' 14 kills, the hosts tallied five aces, a big key in their 7-0 run to close out the first frame with a 25-16 edge.
 
The Racers built another lead (6-1) early in the second set thanks to a 6-0 spurt, but the Cavaliers didn't lose their composure and nearly completed the comeback. Wolf, Dickey and Rouse all registered kills to pull the Cavs within a single point on three occasions, including at 24-23. Despite the late push, a UNOH kill saved the set for the Racers, 25-23.
 
In a back-and-forth third frame, the Cavaliers got hot at just the right time. After falling behind by four (20-16) because of eight attacking errors, Montreat cleaned things up offensively and made a last-minute push. Rouse bookended a 5-0 Cav run to claim the set's final five points and stay alive in the contest, 25-23.
 
Montreat's momentum was alive and well in the ensuing frame as the Cavaliers utilized another 5-0 spurt to move in front of the Racers, 10-5. Six different Cavs recorded a kill in the fourth set as they held UNOH at bay, increasing their lead until the set's 25-18 final score to force one last frame.
 
The Cavaliers won the opening point of the fifth set via a Dickey kill, but the hosts controlled the action from there. A quick 5-0 response put the Racers ahead by four, and a .636 hitting percentage carried them the rest of the way. UNOH took the final frame, 15-4, seizing the 3-2 match victory in the process.
 
Dickey led all attackers with a career-high 21 kills. Rouse joined Dickey in double digits with 11 kills in Montreat's second match of the day. Bowen was responsible for 21 digs, while Davis accrued 37 assists.
 
"This weekend showed us both places in which we are strong in and places in which we need to improve," said interim head coach Brittany Carpenter. "I believe the second game versus UNOH showed more of who Montreat volleyball is, and I am looking forward to the start of conference play this coming weekend."
 
The Montreat volleyball team next opens Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play on Saturday, Sept. 10 at Johnson University-Tennessee. First serve is slated for 1:00 p.m. in Knoxville, Tenn.