MONTREAT, N.C. — The Montreat College volleyball team secured a season series sweep of Spartanburg Methodist College with a 3-1 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) victory on Tuesday evening inside McAlister Gymnasium. The Cavaliers edged the Pioneers, 25-23, in the opening set before SMC answered with a 27-25 win in the second. Montreat responded by claiming the final two frames, 25-17, to secure the conference triumph. With the result, the Cavs improved to 5-12 overall (3-8 AAC), while Spartanburg Methodist fell to 3-15 (2-8 AAC).
The hosts jumped out to a 7-2 advantage in the opening set, fueled by kills from Bonnie Trautman and Josie Leatherman, along with a block from Elizabeth Harrington and Rafaela Scherer. The Cavaliers extended their edge to 18-12 when Leatherman recorded three consecutive kills off passes from Katie Alexander, but Spartanburg Methodist fought back with a 7-0 run to take a brief 19-18 lead. Montreat regained control down the stretch as Leatherman added another kill, while Harrington contributed a solo block and a kill to help close out the frame in the Cavs' favor, 25-23.
Montreat began the second frame with a Leatherman kill, a block from Harrington and Scherer and an ace by Trautman before building a 10-4 advantage behind kills from Harrington, Leatherman and Maggie Furches. SMC battled back to pull within one at 23-22 before an attack error evened the score. Leatherman and Harrington each added a kill late in the frame to hand the Cavaliers opportunities to close it out, but the Pioneers answered with a kill prior to scoring the final two points to take the set, 27-25.
Alexander started the third frame with a kill as the Cavs once again scored the initial three points. Kills from Trautman, Leatherman and Harrington then helped build an 8-2 advantage. Spartanburg Methodist trimmed the deficit to 8-6, but the hosts answered with attacks from Harrington, Leatherman and Ruthann Stout, and an ace by Isabella Farmer to establish a seven-point cushion at 15-8. Montreat maintained control late as Leatherman, Furches, Jayme Endicott and Taylor Shaw added kills, while Harrington and Leatherman teamed up for a block. Trautman capped the frame with a kill, giving the hosts a 25-17 win.
The Cavaliers carried that momentum into the fourth set, opening with a 7-4 lead before the visitors punched back to tie the score. Following a timeout, Montreat recaptured the advantage with a Harrington kill, an SMC attack error and a Furches kill to make it 10-7. The Pioneers remained within striking distance through the middle of the frame, closing the gap to 15-14 and 17-16. The Cavs answered with kills from Harrington and Furches before Alexander helped spark a 7-0 run that allowed the home team to close out the set, 25-17, and secure the match, 3-1.
Montreat held statistical advantages in kills (61-47), service aces (8-4), assists (57-46) and hitting percentage (.272 to .185). The kills, assists and hitting percentage marks were all season-bests. Both teams finished even in digs (60-60) and blocks (9-9).
Leatherman paced the Cavaliers with a career-high 20 kills and 21.0 points while adding two block assists. Harrington also posted a career-best performance with 17 kills on a .389 hitting percentage and five total blocks. Alexander contributed 24 assists, three service aces and eight digs, while Trautman recorded eight kills, two aces, five digs and four block assists. Shaw reached double figures in assists with 21, while Farmer and Allie Anderson did the same with 11 digs.
"We have been talking to the team a lot about starting from the get-go and continuing to push," said Head Coach Cristina Viera. "If we get that head start, it allows some cushion in the middle of the set. But more than anything, it is about trusting the process that we have been building to this point, and it shows."
The Cavaliers will return to the road on Friday, Oct. 9, for an AAC matchup against Milligan University. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m.
