COLUMBIA, S.C. - Another record-breaking regular season came to a close for CIU volleyball on Tuesday as the Rams swept St. Andrews (N.C.) and Toccoa Falls (Ga.) on Senior Night. CIU finishes the regular season 32-7 overall and 19-1 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC). The Rams have now won their second consecutive AAC Regular Season Championship and their first outright regular season championship after being named Co-AAC Champions with Bryan College (Tenn.) in 2021. CIU volleyball becomes the second athletic program in the university's history to win an outright conference title and the first to repeat as conference champions.
MATCH ONE: CIU 3 SAU 0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-20): The Rams took on a struggling Knights team in their conference finale; despite this St. Andrews did show fight in all three sets. However, the Rams still were productive, offensively hitting a blistering .361 as a team. Abbey Kleist stood out in particular with 12 kills and a .478 attack percentage. Kira Rymer and Hadassah Davis each had double-digit kills, with 14 and ten, respectively. Kamelia De Jesus led CIU in assists with 27 to go along with 12 digs, while Kelcey Mangum served as CIU's libero with 13 digs.
MATCH TWO: CIU 3 TFC 0 (25-12, 25-4, 25-13): The Rams' were dominant all match, but the highlight of the contest came in the second set. After being recognized on Senior Night just a few minutes prior, Melissa Campos Soto opened the second set by serving 15 consecutive times, recording four aces during the serving streak. The Rams collected ten total aces in the match, with seven coming from Campos Soto. Senior Mardi Scutchings shined for CIU with ten kills with a .529 attack percentage. CIU had two setters with double-digit assists as Campos Soto notched 15 and De Jesus tallied 14. Jadaeya Morrell was another senior recognized, and she made the most of her evening with five total blocks and six kills.
Hear from four-year senior Carla Cauchi postgame:
Up Next: The Rams will head to Kingsport, Tenn., as the No. 1 overall seed in the AAC Women's Volleyball Tournament, which will take place Nov. 10-12.
