MONTEVALLO, Ala. — The University of Montevallo volleyball team battled past Christian Brothers in a five-set thriller, earning a 3-2 victory on Saturday inside Central State Bank Arena. The Falcons continued their surge with a fourth straight GSC win, moving to 8-10 on the season and 5-4 in league action.
MATCH INFORMATION
Score: Montevallo 3 | CBU 2 (25-18, 18-25, 19-25, 25-21, 11-15)
Records: Montevallo (8-10, 5-4 GSC) | CBU (7-12, 2-6 GSC)
Location: Central State Bank Arena | Montevallo, Ala.
Montevallo opened with early momentum after kills from Maggie McColley and Mae Mae Beatty, but Christian Brothers responded to take the lead at the midway point. Despite a late kill from Lilly Singleton, the Falcons couldn't recover from a 5-2 Lady Buccaneer run that made it 16-12. A late surge by CBU gave the visitors the set, 25-18.
The Falcons came out firing in set two, jumping to a 7-2 lead behind a pair of kills from Beatty and McColley and a block by Singleton and McColley.. After a CBU push tied the score at 14, McColley took over with four consecutive kills to cap a pivotal Montevallo run. Ava Wind's ace and back-to-back kills from Beatty sealed the frame, 25-18, as the Falcons evened the match.
Momentum stayed with the Falcons in the third. Montevallo surged ahead 6-2 on a McColley ace and a Singleton kill before forcing a Lady Buccaneer timeout. The Falcons' front line came alive, with Danielle Greene, McColley, and Eliza Tyrrell combining for a pair of rejections that extended the lead to 14-7. Though CBU trimmed the margin to 18-17, Montevallo regrouped and closed on a 7-2 run capped by kills from Tyrrell and Greene. The Falcons hit .333 in the frame, their best of the night, to take the 25-19 win and a 2-1 match lead.
Montevallo looked poised to finish the match after racing out to a 6-2 start, highlighted by kills from McColley, Beatty, and Greene. But Christian Brothers answered with a 6-0 run, erasing the deficit and flipping the set. The Falcons clawed back to tie things at 14, yet the Buccaneers closed with four of the final five points to win, 25-21, and force the decider.
Montevallo set the tone early in the fifth set. McColley and Beatty sparked a 5-2 start, and Katie Wilkerson delivered clutch back-to-back kills to extend the advantage. After CBU pulled within 9-8, the Falcons rattled off four consecutive points to take control. Leading 14-11, McColley finished the night fittingly, hammering the match-winning kill for the 15-11 victory to secure the match win.
GAME NOTES
- Maggie McColley tallied a career-best 16 kills to go along with eight blocks.
- Katie Wilkerson provided a spark offensively, totaling 10 kills in just three sets played.
- Blakeley Robbins recorded a season-high 38 assists in the win.
UP NEXT: Montevallo hits the road Tuesday for a non-conference matchup at Spring Hill at 6:00 p.m.
