FROM STAFF REPORTS

AIKEN, S.C. – The University of Montevallo volleyball team dropped the opening match of its final road trip of the regular season following a hard-fought 3-2 loss on the road at USC Aiken in a Peach Belt Conference match Oct. 26.

The Falcons took the first set 25-23 before dropping the next two sets 25-18 and 25-17. After Montevallo extended the match with a 25-21 win in the fourth set, USC Aiken clinched the victory with a 15-7 win in the final set.

Sophomore Michelle Walker led Montevallo (11-13 overall, 3-6 in Peach Belt Conference) with 17 kills in the match.

Junior Manyi Ati added 13 kills. Fellow junior Michelle Carle, who had a team-high three blocks, and freshman Rebekah Phelps chipped in six kills each.

Senior Jordan Spinks and sophomore Brianna Guzinski, who registered 14 digs, finished with four kills each.

Junior Kaleigh Harvey posted a team-high 27 digs. Freshman Carissa Bell also added 14 digs in the match. Freshman Briana Marquez contributed a team-high 28 assists, while senior Betsy Stevenson finished with 15 assists.

The opening set remained tight throughout, with USC Aiken taking the largest lead in the set at 14-10 following an attack error by Michelle Carle. The Falcons rallied down the stretch, eventually taking 20-19 lead after an unassisted kill by Ati.

Montevallo continued its streak with a 5-4 run and closed out a 25-23 win in the first set when Marquez set up Phelps for the set-clinching kill.

Ati led the Falcons with seven kills in the opening set.

Montevallo opened the second set with a 5-3 run, capped with a kill by Carle off an assist from Marquez. However, the Pacers slowly built a lead down the stretch on their way to a 25-18 win in the set to even the match at 1-1.

USC Aiken began the third set with a 6-2 run and didn’t look back on its way to a 25-17 victory in the set.

The Falcons battled back early in the fourth set, eventually taking a 12-8 lead following a kill by Walker off an assist from Stevenson. Montevallo closed out the set with a 5-3 run to clinch a 25-21 win in the set following a kill by Phelps and an attack error by the Pacers.

USC Aiken opened the fifth and final set with a 3-1 run to take back momentum. A kill by Carle cut the deficit to one point and gave the Falcons a boost, but a commanding 6-0 run midway through the set allowed the Pacers to clinch the match with a 15-7 win in the set.

The Falcons return to action for their second match in a four-match road trip Oct. 27 in a Peach Belt Conference match at Lander University. First serve is set for 1 p.m.