SWANNANOA, N.C.— Columbia College defeated the Montreat College volleyball team 3-0 on Friday night in Asheville Christian Academy's Gymnasium, utilizing set scores of 25-22, 25-12 and 25-20 to take the Cavaliers down in their season and Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) opener. With the result, the Cavs fell to 0-1 overall and in conference play, while the Koalas improved to 1-8 overall and 1-0 in league action.
 
Montreat started the first set with a kill from Elizabeth Harrington but soon found itself trailing as Columbia's Destiny Brown delivered consecutive kills, bringing the score to 3-1 in favor of the visitors. A key moment occurred when Taylor Shaw's service ace, a pair of Cavalier kills and a block by Ruthann Stout and Sarah Alderman fueled a 4-0 run, leveling the score at 8-8. Despite a resilient effort by the Cavs, including timely attacks from Josie Leatherman and Alderman, the Koalas ultimately closed the first set with a 25-22 advantage, capitalizing on a late surge led by Kameron Turner.
 
The second frame began with Montreat leveling the score at 2-2 following a kill from Leatherman, which was assisted by Cizzie Griffin. The Cavaliers faced a challenging stretch as Columbia capitalized on multiple attack errors to build a lead, prompting strategic timeouts at 10-6 and 17-7 to try and halt CC's momentum. Despite a late effort by Ella Rose Livingston, securing two kills with assists from Griffin, the hosts couldn't overcome the Koalas' strong service game, ultimately dropping the set, 25-12.
 
Montreat kicked off the third frame with a brief advantage, highlighted by a kill from Maggie Stewart and a duo block from Stewart and Harrington, taking the lead at 4-2. Despite this early momentum, Columbia responded with a series of successful plays, including a service ace from Debra Shephard, allowing the visitors to regain a narrow lead. As tensions rose, Montreat called a timeout at 22-19 after a rally led by Livingston brought the team within striking distance, but the Koalas closed out the set, 25-20, with strong offensive execution.
 
"We have a young team, so it's going to take some time, but we do have the talent," said head coach Cristina Viera. "We just need to keep focusing on ourselves and getting better each day."
 
On the night, CC notched advantages in kills (37-25), hitting percentage (.176 to .041), assists (34-25), digs (48-43) and aces (8-3). Meanwhile, the Cavaliers owned a 7-5 edge in blocks.
 
Livingston led Montreat with seven kills on 17 attempts, posting a .294 hitting percentage. Harrington added five kills and contributed two block assists, finishing with seven points. Griffin paced the squad with 11 assists, while Shaw also facilitated the offense with 10 helpers and an ace. Allie Anderson contributed defensively with a team-high 14 digs and chipped in with two assists.
 
Looking ahead, the Cavs will travel to Cleveland, Ga., to face off against Truett McConnell University. The match is set for Tuesday, Sept. 23, with action beginning at 6:30 p.m.