COLUMBIA, S.C. — CIU women's volleyball made Senior Night one to remember Friday, avenging an early-season loss to Brenau University with a 25-17, 30-28, 25-18 sweep of the Golden Tigers in Appalachian Athletic Conference action inside the Moore Fitness Center.
Prior to the match, the Rams honored seniors Ava Koselke and Alexa Brownell for their contributions to the program. CIU followed the celebration with an impressive performance, improving to 17-12 overall and 13-4 in AAC play while extending its all-time series advantage over Brenau to 17-1.
The Rams have now won five consecutive conference matches as they enter a pivotal stretch of the regular season.
CIU wasted little time establishing its offensive rhythm, delivering a blistering performance in the opening set. The Rams connected on 16 kills with just two attack errors on 24 attempts, hitting .583 to claim a commanding 25-17 victory.
The second set provided the night's biggest drama as the two teams traded blows in a marathon frame featuring 16 ties and seven lead changes. CIU recorded 20 kills in the set, eventually outlasting Brenau 30-28 to take a commanding two-set advantage.
With the sweep within reach, the Rams maintained their composure in the third. CIU put down 14 kills while limiting Brenau to a .108 hitting percentage, closing out the match with a 25-18 victory.
Mary Norwood led the offensive charge with 16 kills while hitting .371. Zcearia James followed with 13 kills on 27 attempts for a .407 hitting percentage, while Katelynn Mundy added eight kills.
Savannah Kelly turned in another highly efficient performance, recording seven kills without an attack error on 13 attempts to hit .538. Kelly also contributed two solo blocks and three block assists as CIU finished with two solo blocks and 12 block assists.
Macy Brooks tallied 47 assists as the Rams finished with 50 kills against just 11 attack errors, hitting .336 for the match. Riley Decker collected a team-high nine digs, while Ashlee Gomes and Rilee Sturkie added eight apiece.
Koselke contributed three kills and three block assists in her Senior Night appearance, while Brownell added five digs and a kill to help the Rams secure the sweep.
CIU now turns its attention to one of its most consequential matches of the conference season. The Rams welcome Reinhardt University to the Moore Fitness Center on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 11 a.m. ET, with both teams battling for the second seed in the AAC standings.
The matchup also carries significant postseason implications, as the Rams and Eagles are competing for the conference's second automatic berth to the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship
