MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat volleyball team played its first home match of the season Tuesday night when it hosted the Truett McConnell University Bears in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) action. While the Cavaliers battled valiantly and won a thrilling third set, TMU seized the other three frames to defeat the hosts and drop Montreat's record to 2-2 (0-2 AAC).
 
Wasting no time, the Bears claimed 10 of the first 11 points in the initial frame thanks to a substantial .714 to -.364 edge in hitting percentage. Kamryn Wolf and Katie Dickey later combined for a trio of kills to trim the Cav deficit to 15-10, but TMU immediately responded by winning five of the following six points en route to a comfortable 25-17 first-set triumph.
 
Montreat's attack looked strong right out of the gate in the second frame as both Elizabeth Harrington and Dickey registered a pair of kills. Jada Thomas recorded a kill as well, and the Cavaliers held an early 6-3 lead behind a perfect 5-for-5 effort converting attacks into kills; however, Truett McConnell's attack ultimately proved to be just a little bit sharper. Both teams had their best offensive sets of the night, but Montreat's 14 kills and .294 hitting percentage were eclipsed by the visitors' 15 kills and .419 attacking percentage. TMU's lethal offense powered 5-1 and 6-1 runs midway through the frame and eventually fueled a 25-19 set win.
 
Truett McConnell (7-5, 2-1 AAC) continued its offensive roll with a 9-4 lead and an .857 hitting percentage early in the third. Despite the gap, the Cavs chipped away until a 4-0 run that featured two Dickey aces handed the hosts their initial lead of set at 17-16. Following a back-and-forth run that resulted in a tie at 21, Wolf and Dickey teamed up to kickstart a 4-0 run, winning a 25-21 frame and keeping Montreat alive in the process.
 
Like the first and third sets, TMU jumped out to a quick lead and built its edge up to 12-6 in the fourth. Three errors aided the Cavaliers as they cut the deficit to just a single point (12-11), but another 5-1 run swung momentum back toward the Bears for good. Truett McConnell utilized a 25-19 fourth-frame victory to claim the overall match, 3-1.
 
Statistically, TMU ended the night with advantages in kills (55-49), digs (51-45), blocks (8.0-4.0) and hitting percentage (.287-.197). Dickey tied for a match-high with 17 kills, tallied nine digs and delivered an impressive .343 hitting percentage. Wolf wasn't far behind her teammate with 14 kills and eight digs. Katie Alexander (career-high 25 assists) and Reese Davis (16 assists) racked up double-digit assist totals, and Lexi Wible was the lone Cavalier to notch double-digit digs with 16.
 
The Montreat volleyball team continues AAC play on Friday when it visits the Bryan College Lions. First serve is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in Dayton, Tenn.