MONTREAT, N.C. — The Montreat College volleyball team closed out its three-match homestand on Saturday afternoon, falling in three sets to the Brenau University Golden Tigers in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) action. Following the 25-20, 25-19, 25-16 defeat, the Cavaliers moved to 3-7 (1-3 AAC) on the year, while BU improved to 10-4 (3-2 AAC).
Elizabeth Harrington opened the match with kills on three of the initial five points, handing the hosts a 4-1 lead right out of the gate.
Taylor Shaw and
Allie Anderson notched assists across that trio of attacks.
Bonnie Trautman and
Josie Leatherman contributed additional offense, while Harrington tallied a block to help expand the edge to 10-6. Brenau settled in from there, however, winning 10 of the ensuing 13 points behind a strong attacking surge. The Golden Tigers hit .400 during the first frame, and they relied on a 15-kill effort to erase their deficit and sprint out to a 25-20 set win.
Riding momentum, BU started the second frame the same way it finished the first. Four kills, a block and an error enabled the visitors to seize a 6-2 advantage in the early going. A pair of
Rafaela Scherer kills from Shaw coupled with a Leatherman kill and two
Brittany Jack service aces trimmed Montreat's gap slightly to 10-7. Leatherman continued her aggressive play, sparking a 5-0 spurt that saw the home side even the set at 13-13. Despite the charge, Brenau remained unfazed. The Golden Tigers captured seven of the following eight points and capped off a 25-19 victory with their 16
th kill of the frame.
Saving its best for last, BU totaled 17 kills and a .464 hitting percentage in the third set to wrap up their AAC triumph. Harrington,
Ruthann Stout and
Judah Reece led the charge for the Cavs early on, but the hosts were never able to overcome a five-point span that vaulted the Golden Tigers out to an 8-4 lead. Leatherman, Harrington and Trautman pulled Montreat within two points on five occasions, but that was as close as the Cavaliers could get. Brenau's incredibly efficient attack ultimately resulted in a 25-16 third frame and a three-set sweep.
Saturday's stat sheet favored the visiting team, who accumulated more kills (48-36), assists (45-35), digs (35-28), blocks (6-2) and service aces (4-2) than Montreat. The Golden Tigers also held a .387 to .167 hitting percentage edge.
Both Leatherman and Harrington registered 11 kills, with the former hitting .304 and the latter hitting .269. Harrington also supplied two blocks and led the squad with 12.5 points.
Katie Alexander posted a team-high 17 assists.
Isabella Farmer and Jack each accumulated five digs, while Jack accounted for both Cavs' service aces.
The Montreat College volleyball team continues AAC play on Tuesday evening with a road clash against Spartanburg Methodist College. First serve is slated for 6:30 p.m. in Spartanburg, S.C.
