MONTREAT, N.C. — CIU women's volleyball put together a sharp offensive performance Tuesday night, sweeping Montreat College 25-15, 25-21, 25-20 in Appalachian Athletic Conference action inside McAlister Gymnasium.
The victory pushed the Rams to 13-12 overall and 9-4 in AAC play, giving CIU a strong response following Saturday's loss to conference-leading Pikeville University.
CIU came out firing in the opening set, connecting on 15 kills with just one attack error on 28 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage. The Rams faced more resistance in the second, which featured nine ties and five lead changes, but managed to create separation late to secure a 25-21 win.
Montreat was unable to slow the Rams in the third as CIU added 13 kills and hit .270 to finish off the sweep. The Rams closed the evening with 42 kills against just 11 attack errors, hitting .295 for the match while holding the Cavaliers to a .168 mark.
Mary Norwood and Zcearia James supplied much of the offensive production, finishing with 11 kills apiece. Norwood continued her efficient play with just one error on 25 attempts to hit .400, while James hit .310 and collected five digs. Katelynn Mundy added nine kills on 17 swings, hitting .353.
Savannah Kelly contributed five kills and helped CIU control play at the net with one solo block and five block assists. Ava Koselke added three kills and three block assists as the Rams combined for 16 block assists and one solo block.
Macy Brooks dished out 38 assists and added six digs, while Ashley Burgbacher anchored the defensive effort with a match-high 16 digs. Ashlee Gomes also chipped in two service aces as CIU finished with five on the night.
The Rams continue their road swing Friday, Oct. 16, traveling to Bryan College for a 6:30 p.m. ET matchup with the Lions.
