MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat volleyball team wrapped up its 3-match homestand Saturday morning with an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) contest against the Bluefield University Rams inside McAlister Gymnasium. After achieving the squad's best hitting percentage of the season last night (.357), the Cavaliers struggled offensively on Saturday, ultimately dropping the match in three sets and falling to 7-5 (4-5 AAC) in the process.
 
Miscues doomed the hosts in the initial frame of play as the Rams jumped out to an 8-6 lead behind six Cavalier attacking errors. Three more Montreat mistakes pushed the visitors' advantage up to 19-13 before three Kamryn Wolf kills and a Katie Dickey attack halved the gap to three. Despite the late charge, a few more errors helped BU win the opening frame 25-20. The Cavaliers tallied 16 kills to the Rams' nine, but 16 miscues gave the away side enough wiggle room to seize the set.
 
Bluefield (9-9, 5-4 AAC) overcame a slow start in the second frame thanks to two late 7-1 spurts. A block, a kill and an ace saw the home team take the first three points, and a couple more Wolf and Dickey kills established an early 8-4 edge; however, BU utilized its first 7-1 spurt to grab the lead at 12-10, and it replicated the feat in the closing stages of the second to eventually win the set, 25-19.
 
Needing just one more set to halt the Cavs' 4-match winning streak, the Rams capitalized on six quick attacking errors, grabbing a 12-2 lead in the process. Montreat hit negatively in the frame (-.081) and couldn't erase the deficit as 11 hitting errors and 10 kills aided Bluefield to a 25-19 third-set triumph and a 3-set sweep on the road.
 
While the Cavaliers notched more kills than the Rams (37-30), 31 attacking errors allowed BU to outhit Montreat on the day (.191 to .050). The hosts also ended the contest with advantages in digs (49-45) and blocks (6.0-3.0).
 
Dickey led all athletes with 14 kills, and both Destini Phifer and Wolf contributed seven kills. Katie Alexander paced the hosts with 22 assists, while Lexi Wible (19) and Wolf (12) totaled double-digit digs.
 
With its 3-match homestand in the rearview mirror, the Montreat volleyball team hits the road on Tuesday for another conference battle, this time versus the Reinhardt University Eagles. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. in Waleska, Ga.