WALESKA, Ga.— Montreat College's volleyball squad made the trip to the Peach State for an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) contest against the Reinhardt University Eagles. The Cavaliers lost by a final score of 3-0 with set scores of 25-13, 25-15 and 25-15. With the defeat, the Cavs fell to 0-3 (0-3 AAC), while the Eagles improved to 12-4 (4-0 AAC).
 
Montreat began the first set with Elizabeth Harrington and Cizzie Griffin contributing early points. After falling behind 5-0, the visitors responded as Harrington recorded a kill assisted by Griffin, marking their first point. Despite a challenging start, Montreat capitalized on errors and a service ace from Allie Anderson. Reinhardt's lead later extended to 16-8, though. As the set progressed, the Cavs struggled to maintain momentum, committing several attack errors. Montreat found moments of success with Josie Leatherman's kills, assisted by Griffin and Anderson. The Eagles maintained pressure, however, and despite Montreat's efforts to narrow the score to 22-13, the hosts closed the set with three more points to take the opening frame, 25-13.
 
The second set began with a strong start from Montreat, as Harrington quickly equalized at 1-1 with a kill. Despite this promising start, Reinhardt responded with a series of points, including multiple service aces, extending the lead to 7-2. Montreat managed to regain some momentum with kills from Harrington and Leatherman, narrowing the gap to 11-5. The Eagles continued to apply pressure and increased their lead to 18-9. Montreat called a timeout to regroup, but despite the Cavaliers' efforts, which included additional kills by Leatherman, Reinhardt maintained the advantage. The set concluded with RU keeping the Cavs at a 10-point distance, 25-15.
 
Reinhardt started the third frame with a strong opening, quickly advancing to a 3-0 lead. Montreat responded with a series of successful plays, including kills by Leatherman and Sarah Alderman, leveling the score at 3-3. The Cavs then took a brief lead, capitalizing on a service ace by Anderson and a Genesis Hernandez kill to reach an 8-4 advantage. Despite Montreat's initial surge, the hosts regained control with a 10-0 run later in the set. Hernandez broke the run with a kill, but further service errors hindered the Cavaliers' comeback attempts. Reinhardt's consistent performance in the latter part of the set, including service aces and key kills, extended the edge to 23-14. Leatherman added a kill late, but the Eagles sealed the set with a service ace, closing at 25-15.
 
Harrington recorded eight kills on 23 attempts, leading the Montreat attack while also contributing seven digs on defense. Griffin facilitated the offense with 14 assists. Anderson made an impact from the service line, securing three aces and adding six digs. Leatherman matched Harrington's offensive output with eight kills on 21 attempts, contributing equally to the team's tally.
 
Montreat recorded a total of 21 kills compared to its counterpart's 38. Reinhardt had 12 serving aces to Montreat's three. The Cavs did not register a block while the Eagles tallied four. The hosts also had more assists (36-20) and digs (41-27) than the Cavaliers.

"Today was tough and not the outcome we hoped for," said head coach Cristina Viera. "Still, every challenge is a chance to grow, and I know what this group is capable of. We'll reset, learn from it, and come back stronger tomorrow."
 
The Cavs will stay in Georgia for the weekend, visiting the Brenau University Golden Tigers on Saturday. The AAC match is set to begin at 11 a.m.