COLUMBIA, S.C. — CIU women's volleyball faced a stiff test Saturday morning as the Rams battled Appalachian Athletic Conference leader University of Pikeville before falling in straight sets inside the Moore Fitness Center.
Playing less than 24 hours after sweeping Bluefield University, CIU dropped the contest 25-14, 25-20, 25-23 to move to 12-12 overall and 8-4 in AAC play. Pikeville improved to 19-3 overall and remained unbeaten in conference action at 12-0.
The Bears established control early, hitting .391 in the opening frame to take a 25-14 victory. CIU responded with a stronger offensive showing in the second, recording 14 kills and hitting .297, but Pikeville maintained its advantage to claim the set 25-20.
The Rams saved their best battle for the third, going toe-to-toe with the conference leaders in a tightly contested frame. The set featured 13 ties and six lead changes as CIU refused to go away. With the score deadlocked at 23-23 late, Pikeville managed to claim the final two points to escape with a 25-23 victory and complete the sweep.
Mary Norwood delivered an impressive offensive performance for CIU, leading the Rams with 10 kills without an attack error on 25 attempts for a .400 hitting percentage. Zcearia James followed with nine kills, while Savannah Kelly added seven kills on 12 swings with just one error to hit .500.
Macy Brooks finished with 28 assists and nine digs, while Alexa Brownell contributed eight digs and two service aces. CIU finished with 33 kills and a .196 hitting percentage against a Pikeville squad that entered the match unbeaten in conference play.
The Rams will look to bounce back Tuesday, Oct. 13, when they travel to Montreat College to face the Cavaliers at 6:30 p.m. ET.
