DAYTON, Tenn. — CIU women's volleyball staged a remarkable comeback Friday night, overcoming a two-set deficit to defeat Bryan College in five sets in Appalachian Athletic Conference action inside Summers Gymnasium.
After dropping the opening two frames by identical 25-16 scores, the Rams rallied to take the final three sets 26-24, 25-18, 15-11, securing their second consecutive conference victory and improving to 14-12 overall and 10-4 in AAC play.
Bryan controlled the early stages of the match, taking advantage of a strong offensive start to claim the first two sets. Facing the prospect of a straight-set defeat, CIU found another gear in the third, recording 14 kills with just one attack error to hit .333. The pivotal frame featured 11 ties and three lead changes before the Rams escaped with a 26-24 victory to keep their hopes alive.
The momentum shifted decisively in the fourth as CIU delivered its most impressive offensive set of the night. The Rams hammered down 16 kills on just 27 attempts with two errors, hitting a blistering .519 to cruise to a 25-18 win and force a decisive fifth set.
With the match hanging in the balance, CIU maintained its offensive efficiency in the final frame, hitting .364 with 10 kills to close out the comeback with a 15-11 victory.
Mary Norwood led the Rams with a match-high 19 kills while hitting .298. Zcearia James turned in an efficient performance with 14 kills and just two errors on 30 attempts for a .400 hitting percentage, while Savannah Kelly added 13 kills on 21 swings with only one error to hit an impressive .571. Kelly also contributed four block assists.
Ashlee Gomes provided another offensive option with eight kills while hitting .353 and collecting a team-high 13 digs. Katelynn Mundy chipped in five kills as CIU finished with 61 kills against just 12 attack errors, hitting .322 for the match.
Macy Brooks tallied 51 assists and eight digs, while Alexa Brownell recorded three service aces and nine digs. The Rams also received two aces apiece from Ashley Burgbacher and Sarah Lancaster.
CIU faces a quick turnaround Saturday, Oct. 17, traveling to Athens, Tenn., to take on Tennessee Wesleyan University at 11 a.m. ET.
