DAYTON, Tenn.— The Montreat women's volleyball team grabbed a set on the road against the Bryan College Lions Friday night, but the visitors couldn't come up with enough key plays in the other three sets as they lost their second consecutive 4-set battle in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play. With the 3-1 (25-13, 20-25, 25-15, 25-20) defeat in Dayton, Tenn., the Cavaliers slipped to 2-3 (0-3 AAC) this year.
 
Montreat started off quickly in the first frame as Alex Marsh and Destini Phifer registered kills and Kamryn Wolf notched a service ace for the match's initial three points; however, Bryan flipped the script just a few points later, going on a 7-1 run to take its first lead of the night. Another 7-1 run later in the frame combined with a .400 hitting percentage helped the Lions pull away, building their lead out to 12 (23-11) before eventually winning the set, 25-13.
 
Bryan (6-6, 3-1 AAC) staked itself out to an early 5-2 edge in the second frame, but six straight Cav points recorded in a variety of manners suddenly handed the visitors an 8-5 lead. The hosts battled back and made Montreat work for each point, but a Wolf kill coupled with two errors created just enough separation down the stretch (22-19). Shalice Lynch and Karly Horn also tallied kills late, part of a 16-kill frame for the visitors, and Lexi Wible closed out a 25-20 set victory with an ace.
 
Frustrated with their performance in the previous frame, the Lions came out with renewed energy in the third. Not only did Bryan win five of the first six points, but it also claimed 16 of the initial 20 points, jumping out to a 16-4 advantage in the process. With a gap too sizable to overcome, the Cavaliers dropped the third frame by a 25-15 scoreline.
 
Riding the momentum, the Lions seized seven of the initial eight points in what became the final set of the match. Wolf had four kills midway through the set, and Katie Dickey added a pair to keep the Cavs within shouting distance at 16-10. A Jada Thomas kill helped the visitors trim their deficit to 20-17 in the latter stages of the fourth frame, but one final surge from the home side sealed the set, 25-20, as well as the match, 3-1, in favor of Bryan.
 
"We fought, but Bryan showed up ready to play hard," said head coach Brittany Carpenter. "I am proud of how we rebounded in the second set, but in the last set, we waited a little too long to come all the way back."
 
The Lions closed out the night with edges in hitting percentage (.222-.052), kills (53-38) and blocks (7.0-3.0). Wolf totaled 13 kills to lead Montreat's attack, while Dickey and Lynch added nine and six kills, respectively. Lexi Wible (24), Wolf (18) and Dickey (12) each contributed double-digit digs on the night, while Katie Alexander (15) and Reese Davis (14) did the same with assists.
 
Prior to the match, both teams, along with those in attendance, honored the life and memory of Alivia Mynes. A student-athlete on the Bryan volleyball team, Mynes and her father, Chris, passed away in a tragic vehicle accident near their home last Thanksgiving. Tonight marked Bryan volleyball's first home match since Mynes' passing.
 
"This match was something very special to be a part of," Carpenter added. "We were able to honor Mynes' memory alongside of Bryan College, her family and her teammates, and that is a special occasion much bigger than any sport."
 
The Montreat volleyball team remains in the state of Tennessee for tomorrow morning's AAC clash at Tennessee Wesleyan University. First serve is scheduled for 11 a.m. in Athens, Tenn.