MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat volleyball team played just its second home match of the 2023 season Friday night when the Cavaliers welcomed the Carolina University Bruins into McAlister Gymnasium. Beating the Bruins in five sets back on Aug. 29, the Cavs needed one fewer set on Friday as the hosts grabbed a 4-set triumph and improved their record to 4-4 on the year.
 
Alex Marsh registered kills for Montreat's first three points, but the Bruins found ways to answer each time as the visitors' attack outpowered the Cavaliers early. CU racked up 15 kills and owned a 22-10 digs edge in the initial set, while the hosts tallied the same number of kills (6) as attack errors. As a result, Carolina (6-4) won the opening frame, 25-21.
 
Montreat maintained a slim edge midway through the second set before a pair of Katie Dickey and Kamryn Wolf kills coupled with a trio of CU attacking errors sparked a 5-0 spurt; however, despite a 16-10 Cavalier lead, the Bruins managed to push the Cavs to the brink. A 7-1 run following a Carolina timeout knotted the score at 17-17, but Montreat utilized four of its 13 blocks on the night to swing momentum and the set in the hosts' favor, 25-23.
 
Destini Phifer notched a kill and a block to spur a 6-2 Cavalier run in the third frame, pushing the home side ahead by four (16-12), but the visitors controlled another stretch of play by winning eight of the following nine points to leap in front, 20-17. Undeterred, attacks from Jada Thomas and Phifer brought Montreat level with CU, and two late kills from Dickey sealed a tightly-contested 27-25 third set.
 
Needing just one more set to win the match, the Cavs saved their best attacking frame for last. Seven early kills pushed the home team out to a 13-7 lead, and a match-high 16 kills and .433 attacking percentage put the Bruins away. Thomas recorded four of her career-high seven kills in the final frame as Montreat clinched the victory behind a 25-16 set.
 
"We ran a few new offensive options throughout the match, and we were able to get a better feel as the contest went on," said head coach Brittany Carpenter. "Our defense really stepped up and was a big reason why we got the win tonight."
 
By the night's end, the Cavalier attack outhit the Bruins by a slim .119-.100 margin. Carolina totaled more kills (51-47) and digs (77-56) during the contest, but a 7-4 service ace advantage and massive 13.0-2.0 edge in blocks tipped the match in the hosts' favor.
 
Dickey paced all attackers with 16 kills, while Wolf added nine and both Marsh and Thomas contributed seven. A trio of Cavs—Wolf, Katie Alexander and Lexi Wible—each supplied 13 digs, and Dickey bagged a double-double thanks to her 10 digs. Alexander (22) and Reese Davis (16) garnered double-digit assists to lead the hosts.
 
The Montreat volleyball team jumps right back into action tomorrow with an Appalachian Athletic Conference matchup at St. Andrews University. First serve is set for 12:00 p.m. in Laurinburg, N.C.