LEBANON, Tenn. — (RV) CIU women's volleyball closed out its opening weekend Saturday by splitting a pair of matches on the final day of the Phoenix Classic, sweeping Rio Grande (Ohio) before falling to a challenging Fisk University squad.
The Rams picked up their first win of the 2026 season with a 25-23, 27-25, 25-23 sweep of Rio Grande. All three sets were tightly contested, with the match featuring 21 ties and 10 lead changes.
CIU's underclassmen continued to look sharp in the victory. Sophomore Zcearia James led the Rams with 11 kills while hitting .429, and fellow sophomore Katelynn Mundy matched that efficiency with 10 kills and just one error on 21 attempts. Sophomore Mary Norwood added nine kills, while freshman Ashlee Gomes chipped in four.
The Rams were particularly effective offensively in the second set, putting down 19 kills and hitting .319 on their way to the 27-25 win. CIU finished the match hitting .250 with 41 kills and just 11 attack errors. Sophomore Macy Brooks handed out 17 assists, while Maria Ferreira added 15 assists and 10 digs. Ashley Burgbacher led the defensive effort with 26 digs.
CIU faced another test in its final match of the weekend against Fisk. Both Fisk and Rio Grande entered 2026 after posting 25-plus-win seasons a year ago, giving the young Rams two experienced opponents to close the tournament.
Fisk took the opening set 25-19 before CIU battled through a back-and-forth second frame. The set featured 13 ties and six lead changes, but Fisk eventually prevailed 25-21. The Rams pushed their opponent even further in the third, extending the set past 25 before falling 29-27 to drop the match in straight sets.
James turned in another strong performance to lead CIU offensively, putting down 11 kills with just one error on 27 attempts for a .370 hitting percentage. Mundy added seven kills, while freshman Sarah Lancaster saw her first extended action of the season and recorded four kills. Ferreira and Brooks combined for 25 assists.
Burgbacher continued her impressive defensive weekend with 25 digs, while Gomes added 13. Gomes also accounted for all three of CIU's service aces in the match.
The Rams finished their opening weekend 1-3 after facing a challenging tournament field that included No. 2 Eastern Oregon, host Cumberland, Rio Grande and Fisk.
CIU returns to action Tuesday, Aug. 18, when the Rams face the University of Northwestern Ohio at 3 p.m. ET at Spartanburg Methodist College.
