SWANNANOA, N.C.— The Montreat College volleyball team faced off against the visiting Reinhardt University Eagles in an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) matchup Friday evening. On the night, the Cavaliers suffered a 3-1 defeat with set scores of 25-6, 25-7, 23-25 and 25-11. Montreat fell to 0-18 (0-18 AAC) following the loss, while the Eagles improved to 26-6 (16-2 AAC). 
 
Reinhardt began the first set on the offensive, capitalizing on a series of kills and service aces. The Eagles went on a big scoring run, jumping out to an early 12-1 lead despite two timeout calls from the Cavs in an attempt to disrupt the away team's momentum.
 
Montreat managed to secure points with kills from Maggie Stewart and Elizabeth Harrington, providing brief relief from RU's scoring streak. Defensive plays, including a block by Harrington and Sarah Alderman, offered a glimpse of resistance, yet Reinhardt's offense persisted.
 
As the frame progressed, the hosts added points with contributions from Ella Rose Livingston and Karly Horn, yet the Eagles' sustained pressure led to them winning set one with a final score of 25-6.
 
The visitors took control early in the second set behind multiple service aces and kills. The Cavaliers worked to counter, with Harrington and Livingston contributing a block to even the score at 1-1. However, the Eagles responded with a 7-0 scoring spurt, extending their advantage to 8-1.
 
Genesis Hernandez tried to spark the home side with a kill and a service ace, and Stewart and Ruthann Stout provided resistance with a tandem block. The Cavs were able to cut into the deficit slightly, but ultimately to no avail as Reinhardt closed out the frame with a three-point run and a 25-7 final score.
 
Montreat opened the third frame with some much-needed momentum, capitalizing on a bad set by RU, as well as successful attacks from Horn and Hernandez, to seize a swift 4-2 lead. However, the visitors answered with a series of points of their own, taking advantage of errors to regain a 10-6 edge, prompting a timeout by the hosts.
 
Shortly after the stoppage, Montreat pushed back with a 3-0 scoring spurt, utilizing a service ace from Hernandez and a pair of Eagles' errors to slice the gap down to 11-9. The two teams then traded scoring runs, with both sides tallying four points apiece to push the frame out to 15-13. The momentum for the Cavaliers continued to build with another 4-0 scoring burst. Kills from Harrington and Horn, as well as a service ace from Cizzie Griffin, aided the hosts in taking a narrow 17-16 lead.
 
In a tense closing sequence, Montreat faced a 23-21 deficit, but Horn's and Stout's block jump started a 4-0 span to end the frame. Alderman's service ace leveled the set, and a pair of errors wrapped up the frame in the Cavs' favor at 25-23.
 
Montreat entered the fourth set needing to build on its momentum but faced an early challenge as Reinhardt sprinted out to a quick 10-2 lead. The Cavaliers showed some life on offense with kills from four different players, including Horn, Griffin, Livingston and Stewart, which trimmed the gap to 14-8. From there, though, the Eagles seized nine of the ensuing 10 points to help push the frame out of reach. Ultimately, the visiting team closed out the victory in set four with a 25-11 final score.
 
Reinhardt finished the match with the upper hand in all major team statistical categories. The visitors maintained the advantage in kills (45-21), assists (40-19), hitting percentage (.245 to -.123), digs (58-35), service aces (10-5) and blocks (11-7).
 
Griffin led the Cavs with 13 assists and 10 digs, securing her third double-double of the campaign. Harrington recorded five kills and a team-high four block assists, accumulating seven points. Hernandez added four kills and two service aces, finishing with a total of six points. Horn posted a season-high and team-best six kills to go along with one block assist.
 
"Tonight showed our ability to flip the page and fight back," said head coach Cristina Viera. "Even when things didn't go our way, we competed with heart and took a set from a top team. That fight is who we are, and we're ready to finish the season strong tomorrow."
 
Looking ahead, Montreat hosts Brenau University on Saturday, Nov. 8 in its final match of the year. First serve is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Asheville Christian Academy in Swannanoa, N.C. Senior day festivities are slated to take place after the contest.