MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat volleyball team played host to the Union College (Ky.) Bulldogs inside McAlister Gymnasium Saturday afternoon for an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) and senior day clash. With the regular season winding down, both teams gave their all in pursuit of another important point in the conference standings. In the end, the Cavaliers responded after dropping the opening set to win the match, 3-1, improving to 12-10 (9-10 AAC) and clinching a spot in this year's AAC Tournament in the process.
 
Union (11-18, 10-10 AAC) started the match on the right foot thanks to a pair of significant runs. Not only did the Bulldogs claim the first five points in the initial frame, but they also wasted no time building that lead out to 7-1. Alex Marsh, Elizabeth Harrington and Katie Dickey racked up kills to answer with a 5-0 spurt that trimmed the Cavs' deficit to 7-6, but UC rattled off seven consecutive points to quickly flip the set in its favor for good. Both teams had 12 kills, but the Bulldogs capitalized on a .222 to .070 hitting edge to claim the set by a 25-18 margin.
 
While the Cavaliers stumbled out of the gates, they made quick work of their opposition across the following three sets. In the second, Marsh and Shalice Lynch combined for back-to-back blocks that helped establish an 8-4 lead. Union whittled the gap down to 14-13 minutes later, but a pair of Lynch and Marsh kills coupled with a Dickey ace gave the hosts all the momentum. Behind a 16-kill set, Montreat captured 10 of the final 12 points en route to a 25-16 second-frame triumph.
 
Back-to-back solo blocks vaulted the visitors out to a 6-3 advantage on the scoreboard, but two substantial runs put an end to Union's hopes in the third. A kill from Lynch, as well as Dickey, started a 6-0 run that flipped the 3-point edge in Montreat's favor at 9-6. The entire Cav squad played a massive role in seizing the third set as five athletes combined for seven kills during a 10-0 span that extended the hosts' lead to 21-10. Harrington tallied a pair of kills during the run, part of her career-best 8-kill performance, which aided the home team to another 25-16 set win.
 
Marsh also recorded a career-high in kills with 10 as she teamed up with Wolf to create an early 10-6 advantage in the fourth frame. From there, an 11-1 Cavalier run squashed any hope of a Union comeback. After registering a season-high 18 kills in a single set the previous night, Montreat managed to surpass that performance with a 19-kill fourth set and a 25-14 match-clinching frame. The victory also secured the Cavs a spot in next month's AAC Tournament, which is slated for Nov. 9-11 in Kingsport, Tenn.
 
"This was a special day to honor our seven seniors," said head coach Brittany Carpenter. "We understood the importance of this match, and although we got off to a slow start, we settled in and played our game. I'm so proud of all our seniors, and I'm glad we were able to pull out a big win."
 
Montreat notched 63 kills in the victory, its most in a match since Oct. 7, 2022 when it racked up 64 kills in a 4-set win over Johnson University (Tenn.). The Cavaliers also ended the afternoon with significant advantages in hitting percentage (.227 to .106), assists (57-28) and digs (64-54).
 
Dickey tied for a match-high 15 kills to go along with her 16 digs for a double-double. Wolf also totaled 15 kills on an incredibly efficient .462 hitting percentage. Lexi Wible had team-best 20 digs, while both Katie Alexander and Reese Davis collected 24 assists.
 
"The match today really showed how much talent we have," Marsh added. "We've all bought into the culture of Montreat volleyball. From the defense to the setting to the hitting, everything and everyone worked together to build toward the goals we have set."
 
The Montreat volleyball team continues its 4-match homestand on Tuesday with its final AAC contest of the regular season. First serve between the Cavaliers and the Reinhardt University Eagles is set for 6:30 p.m. in Montreat, N.C.