COLUMBIA, S.C.— Playing its first of three consecutive matches in South Carolina's capital city, the Montreat volleyball team faced off against the Columbia College Koalas in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) action Friday evening. While the Cavaliers managed to take the first set, it was the home team who won the following three frames to claim the match. With the defeat, Montreat fell to 7-5 (7-5 AAC) this season.
Five early kills from
Karly Horn and a 7-1 run saw the Cavs seize control during the opening stages of the initial set, 11-8. The visitors' attack continued to pave the way in the frame, with
Ruthann Stout,
Elizabeth Harrington and
Katie Alexander adding kills of their own to expand the edge out to 18-13. Maggie Stewert joined in on the fun late in the set, and Montreat capitalized on its 18 kills and .361 hitting percentage to capture the first frame, 25-22.
Harrington and Horn continued to flex their offensive prowess as they powered a 5-0 run that established a 6-2 advantage moments into the second set; however, Columbia (5-18, 4-12 AAC) rattled off a few runs of its own to flip momentum in its favor. A swift 4-0 spurt leveled the frame at 6-6, and a 5-0 stretch midway through set put the hosts in the driver's seat, 17-12. The Koalas eventually won the frame with a 7-0 run and a 25-16 scoreline.
Reese Davis notched a kill and a service ace, while Horn rattled off three kills to match her single-game career-best output (12 kills) early during the third frame. Despite the strong start, CC responded with a 9-0 sequence that suddenly created a 16-7 lead over the visitors. Columbia ultimately finished off the third set with a 25-19 victory.
One frame away from securing the triumph on their home court, the Koalas stormed out of the gates in the fourth. Columbia grabbed the initial five points of the frame, as well as 13 of the first 17. The home team led by as many as 13 points (21-8) en route to its match-sealing 25-14 set win.
"The team started strong but lost consistency," said head coach
Cristina Viera. "Despite that, we're making good strides and are now focused on tomorrow's game."
Horn ended the night with a career-high and match-best 20 kills. Harrington and Davis each contributed nine kills, while Alexander and Stewart tallied four apiece.
Cate Hale tied for a match-high with 14 digs. Alexander utilized 10 digs and a career-best 41 assists to achieve her third double-double of the year.
The Koalas finished the contest with a better hitting percentage (.225 to .131), as well as more aces (11-4) and blocks (7-4). The Cavaliers registered more kills (48-44) and digs (48-42) than their counterparts, but the visitors also committed seven additional service errors (10-3).
Montreat remains in Columbia, S.C. for another AAC matchup tomorrow afternoon. First serve between the Cavs and the Columbia International University Rams is scheduled for 1 p.m.
