GRAYSON, Ky. - CIU volleyball continued a weekend road trip Saturday with a tri-match versus Kentucky Christian and Shawnee State (Ohio.). The first match versus KCU was an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) contest as the Rams added another sweep 3-0 to win their 18th conference match of the year. The Rams then took on the Bears in the second match, where they would drop one set on their way to a 3-1 win. The Rams move to 30-7 on the season and 18-1 in the AAC. 

Match One: CIU 3 KCU 0 (25-8, 25-16, 26-12): Abbey Kleist and Kira Rymer picked up where they left off the night before combining for 24 kills as CIU hit over .400 as a team. Kelcey Mangum led the Rams with 17 digs, while Kamelia De Jesus was effective with 28 assists, four aces, and six digs. The Rams recorded seven blocks as a team to hold the Knights to a .084 hitting percentage. 

Match Two: CIU 3 SSU 1 (23-25, 28-26, 25-17, 25-18): Shawnee State tested CIU early, but the Rams recovered nicely to rattle off three straight wins. The Rams had 59 total kills, with 18 coming from Rymer and 14 coming from Jadaeya Morrell. De Jesus notched her third 50-plus assist match of the season, tallying 51. Mangum also put up big numbers with 30 digs. As a team, the Rams recorded nine aces while only giving up three in serve receive. 

What Coach Amber Haver is saying: "This road trip is a tough one. SC to Virginia, to Kentucky and back to SC- all in two days. Couldn't be prouder of these student-athletes. Their hard work and discipline produced three wins this weekend, securing a conference title for the second time in our five season history- and a bid to Nationals, all while completing their college coursework on the bus. It's not an easy task, to be a college athlete. Everyone did their part this weekend and had a lot of fun doing it. It's a great time to be a part of this team family."

Up Next: The Rams will play their final regular season matches of 2022 on Tuesday, Nov. 2, hosting Toccoa Falls (Ga.) and St. Andrews (N.C.) in a tri-match.