COLUMBIA, S.C. — CIU women's volleyball showed no signs of slowing down Saturday morning, rolling past Milligan University in straight sets for its seventh consecutive Appalachian Athletic Conference victory.
The Rams won 25-9, 25-17, 25-15 inside the Moore Fitness Center, improving to 11-10 overall and 7-2 in AAC play. CIU has not lost since opening conference play with back-to-back defeats and has swept five opponents during its seven-match winning streak.
CIU set the tone with a blistering start, putting down nine kills with just one error on 15 attempts to hit .533 in the opening set. The Rams followed with 13 kills and a .367 hitting percentage in the second before finishing off the Buffaloes in the third.
Zcearia James turned in a near-flawless offensive performance, leading CIU with 12 kills without an error on 21 attempts for a .571 hitting percentage. Katelynn Mundy added nine kills while hitting .368, while Mary Norwood contributed five kills. Savannah Kelly needed just five swings to record three kills and also added two solo blocks.
The Rams found success well beyond their attack, serving up 11 aces while limiting Milligan to a -.011 hitting percentage. James, Riley Decker, Alexa Brownell and Macy Brooks each recorded two aces, while Ashley Burgbacher collected a match-high 12 digs.
Brooks finished with 30 assists as CIU amassed 32 kills against only seven attack errors to hit .329 for the match. The Rams also totaled three solo blocks and 10 block assists in another balanced performance.
CIU now turns its attention to a road rematch with Truett McConnell University. The Rams travel to Cleveland, Ga., on Tuesday, Oct. 6, for a 6:30 p.m. ET matchup with the Bears.
