TOCCOA FALLS, Ga. — The Montreat College volleyball team started its 2026 regular season campaign on Tuesday with a pair of matches at the University of Toccoa Falls in Toccoa Falls, Ga. While the Cavaliers dropped the opening contest against the hosts, 3-1, they managed to bounce back with a three-set sweep in their neutral-site clash versus Trinity College of Jacksonville. Thanks to the tri-match split, the Cavs started the campaign at 1-1 overall.
Beginning the day against the UTF Screaming Eagles (2-3), the visitors opened the match on a high note. Montreat claimed the initial frame by winning the final seven points, turning an 18-15 lead into a 25-15 set triumph.
Selma Scott rattled off six consecutive serves to close out the frame, a sequence that included two aces as well.
Taylor Shaw also had a stretch of six straight serves midway through the set that put the Cavaliers in the driver's seat at 15-9.
Elizabeth Harrington helped power the Cavs both offensively and defensively with three kills and three blocks during the frame.
Picking up where they left off, Montreat accumulated eight of the first 11 points in the second set.
Judah Reece,
Madysan Mauney and
Bonnie Trautman recorded kills early on, while
Isabella Farmer contributed an ace. Toccoa Falls managed to remain within shouting distance, however, making its final push as the set reached its latter stages. Trailing 20-16, the Screaming Eagles tallied nine of the ensuing 11 points to steal the frame, 25-22.
Riding momentum, UTF kept rolling by seizing 10 of the initial 12 points in the third set. A pair of
Raylen Holder kills off passes from
Taylor Shaw, coupled with service aces from
Brittany Jack and
Carly Setterlind, had the visitors down 15-8 midway through the frame. Despite the Cavaliers' late surge, they couldn't overcome Toccoa Falls' early separation. The hosts grabbed the upper hand in the match with a 25-17 set win.
Another early hole, this time 12-4, saw the Cavs chasing the Screaming Eagles throughout the remainder of the contest.
Josie Leatherman provided a mid-set surge in the fourth frame, firing off five kills during a span of nine points. The spark ultimately wasn't enough, though, as the home side seized the match when it captured the final set, 25-13.
Both teams accrued 42 kills during the match, but UTF owned minor edges in service aces (10-8), blocks (8-7), assists (39-38) and digs (62-61). Toccoa Falls also maintained a better attacking percentage (.171 to .093) on 11 fewer swings (140-129).
Leatherman led Montreat with 10 kills and 10.5 points. Trautman added eight kills while hitting .400, and she finished the match with a team-high four blocks. Shaw recorded 24 assists, seven digs and one service ace.
Allie Anderson collected a team-high 13 digs and added two assists.
Taking on the TCJ Eagles (0-6) in match two, the Cavaliers had little trouble in securing a three-set sweep, 25-12, 25-13, 25-22. The victory marked the Cavs' first win and first triumphant sweep since Nov. 9, 2024, against Kentucky Christian University.
A pair of Harrington kills and three Farmer aces established Montreat's dominance moments into the opening frame. Montreat continued to build through the middle of the set as Shaw and Trautman teamed up for two blocks in quick succession. Trautman delivered from the service line as well, lining up an ace that expanded the Cavaliers' advantage on the scoreboard to 17-5. The Cavs led by as many as 16 points (24-8) before eventually winning the frame, 25-12.
The second set featured a similar recipe to the first, with Montreat's service and attack proving to be far too much for Trinity College. As a squad, the Cavaliers hit .321 during the frame, and five different Cavs notched at least two kills across the 38-point set. Jack contributed two aces midway through the frame as well. Reece aided the attack and the defense at the net to help seal a commanding 25-13 second set.
Several extended runs saw the Eagles put up a stronger fight in the third frame before ultimately falling to Montreat. Six straight points, including two Jack service aces and four kills from Reece, Trautman and
Maggie Furches, vaulted the Cavaliers in front at 12-7. TCJ battled back with eight consecutive points of its own, and it entered the final stages of the set with a 21-19 advantage; however, the Cavs returned to the court with renewed focus following a key timeout from Head Coach
Cristina Viera. Four kills, one block and one ace clinched the final frame and the sweep for Montreat, 25-22.
As evidenced by the scoreboard, the Cavaliers also dominated the stat sheet, holding the upper hand in kills (33-12), service aces (12-5), blocks (7-2), assists (29-12) and hitting percentage (.187 to -.115). Both teams registered 39 digs.
Harrington recorded 10 kills and hit .368, while Reece also finished with 10 kills and a .350 attacking percentage. Farmer and Jack totaled career highs with six and four aces, respectively. Trautman posted a resounding seven total blocks to go along with five kills and one service ace. Anderson and Shaw led the squad with 11 digs and 23 assists, respectively.
The Montreat College volleyball team dives back into action on Friday and Saturday with the Labor Day Bear Invitational at Truett McConnell University in Cleveland, Ga. Day one's slate features a trio of matches, while day two includes at least one additional contest.
