WALTHAM, Massachusetts – The University of Montevallo volleyball team extended its winning streak to six matches Sept. 20 with a pair of wins against Bentley University and Georgian Court University in the final two matches of its weekend tour through New England.
The Falcons edged host Bentley 25-17, 20-25, 25-20, 19-25, 19-17 in the first match of the day before closing out the trip with a 25-15, 20-25, 25-13, 25-17 win over Georgian Court on a neutral court.
Senior Rebekah Phelps finished one kill shy of her career high as she registered 18 kills to lead the Falcons (8-4) to a 3-2 win on Bentley's home court.
Phelps posted a season-high 18 kills and 13 digs as she posted her fourth double-double of the year in the Falcons' win over Bentley, a member of the Northeast-10 Conference.
Sophomore Chandler Cooper added 15 kills, while senior Sarah Guidry registered her fifth double-double of the season with 12 kills and 11 digs. Senior Katie Best, who finished with a team-high .471 hitting percentage, and freshman Kristy Bohan added eight kills each. Bohan finished with a team-high seven blocks.
Junior Briana Marquez led the Falcons with 28 assists while splitting time with sophomore Hannah Christie, who contributed 23 assists. Junior Carissa Bell paced Montevallo with 14 digs, while junior Nicole Holton finished with 12 digs.
The Falcons opened the match with a 25-17 win in the first set. Montevallo closed the set with a 17-10 run and Cooper provided a kill for the final point to secure the win for the Falcons.
Phelps provided six kills and Cooper finished with five kills in the opening set.
The margin remained within four points throughout the entire second set before Bentley closed the frame with a 7-2 run, capped with a kill by Simone Silvera, to secure a 25-20 win in the set.
Phelps and Cooper paced the Falcons with three kills each in the set.
Montevallo responded with a 25-20 win in the third set to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Bohan provided a pair of kills to spark a quick 4-1 run by the Falcons at the beginning of the set. The Falcons, who led by as many as eight points in the frame, held off a late rally by Bentley to claim the third set.
Bohan provided a team-high four kills in the third set.
The fourth set remained tight throughout the frame as Bentley forced the match into a decisive fifth set with a 25-19 win in the set. Guidry finished with three kills in the fourth set.
Following a 3-0 run by Bentley in the final set, Cooper registered a kill to spark the Falcons on a 7-1 run to give Montevallo a 12-9 lead late in the frame. Bentley fought off the Falcons' attempt to close out the set, but a kill by Best and a service ace by Guidry secured a 19-17 victory in the set and clinched Montevallo's 3-2 win in the match.
Silvera and Lauren Van Buren led Bentley with 14 kills each.
Best led the Falcons with nine kills in the 3-1 win over Georgian Court, a Central Collegiate Athletic Conference member.
Phelps added eight kills and 11 digs. Guidry, Cooper and Bohan added seven kills each, with Guidry also providing a career-high 21 digs.
Bell added 19 digs for the Falcons in the victory. Marquez finished with a team-high 28 assists.
The Falcons defeated Georgian Court 25-15 in the opening set. Montevallo ran away with the double-digit win in the first set after ending the frame with a 10-5 run.
Georgian Court took the second set 25-20 after ending the set with a 8-4 run.
Montevallo responded with a 25-13 win in the third set, ending the frame with a 15-6 run.
The Falcons closed out the match with a 25-17 win in the fourth set. Montevallo ended the set with a 9-2 run to clinch the 3-1 victory over the Lions.
Tatiana Rodriguez led Georgian Court with 13 kills.
The Falcons return to action Friday, Sept. 26 as they return to Peach Belt Conference play with a match on the road at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla.
First serve against the Saints is set for 7 p.m. Eastern/6 p.m. Central.
