SWANNANOA, N.C.— The Montreat College volleyball team fell to Columbia International University in straight sets Tuesday evening at ACA Gymnasium. With set scores of 25-14, 25-14 and 25-11, the Cavaliers dropped to 0-8 overall and in league play.
 
Despite an early kill from Elizabeth Harrington, the reigning AAC regular season and tournament champions established momentum in the opening set thanks to a series of service aces and kills, leading to a 6-1 advantage. The Cavs attempted to narrow the gap with attacks from Harrington and Josie Leatherman, bringing the score to 9-4; however, the Rams' consistent execution and multiple aces extended their lead. Montreat called timeouts to regroup but faced challenges in closing the deficit.
 
The set concluded as CIU (11-5, 7-1 AAC) capitalized on the Cavaliers' errors, ultimately taking the frame 25-14. The hosts showed resilience with a handful of impressive plays but were unable to overcome the visitors' sustained pressure in the initial set.
 
In the second frame, Montreat opened with a kill from Harrington, briefly taking its first lead of the night. The early advantage didn't trip up Columbia International, though, as the Rams shifted momentum with a series of strong plays, highlighted by service aces and blocks, to build a 9-3 advantage. Showing perseverance, Montreat responded with kills from Leatherman and an ace by Taylor Shaw, narrowing the gap and forcing a CIU timeout with the deficit whittled down to just 9-8.
 
Following the timeout, Montreat continued to pressure the away side with kills by Shaw and Maggie Stewart, leveling the score at 10-10. However, the Rams regained control with a series of tactical plays and kills to reestablish their lead. The Cavs' efforts to close the gap were met with resistance, and CIU capitalized on attack errors to finish the frame with a 25-14 advantage.
 
Montreat opened the third and final set with a quick response after an early attack error, as Harrington delivered a kill from Cizzie Griffin to level the score. Stewart added a service ace to give Montreat a brief 2-1 lead. Despite this, Columbia International regained momentum through a series of Montreat errors, leading to a 7-4 advantage for the visitors.
 
The hosts called a timeout to regroup after CIU extended its edge to 9-4. Upon resuming, Leatherman and Stewart contributed kills to trim the gap, but the visitors' consistent offense widened the margin again. Columbia International capitalized on nearly every mistake, taking a commanding 17-8 lead.
 
Continuing to fight, Montreat earned points from CIU errors and a Leatherman attack, but the Rams kept their heads and maintained control. Columbia International's offensive pressure proved too strong down the stretch, and the visitors concluded the frame with a 25-11 victory.

"We had some good moments, but there's still work to be done," said head coach Cristina Viera. "Our focus remains on continuing to work hard every day and staying committed to our team values."
 
CIU delivered a strong performance on the scoreboard and in the stat sheet. The Rams wrapped up the evening with the upper hand in hitting percentage (.271 to -.073), kills (33-21), assists (32-19), service aces (8-2), blocks (8-3) and digs (42-39).
 
Harrington led the offensive effort for Montreat, recording nine kills on 35 attempts. Shaw contributed significantly with eight assists and added a service ace, while Griffin's nine assists paced the squad. Isabella Farmer anchored the defense, collecting a team-high 11 digs. Ruthann Stout registered a trio of block assists to lead the Cavs. Leatherman also made an impact at the net, finishing with six kills and two block assists.
 
Looking ahead, the Montreat volleyball team will travel to Knoxville, Tenn., on Friday, Oct. 10 to face Johnson University. The match is slated for 6:30 p.m.