DEMOREST, Ga. -- The Covenant volleyball team took a pair of matches in the Cave Arena on the campus of Piedmont College on Saturday.
The Scots defeated Piedmont, 3-1 (25-15, 25-17, 23-25, 25-23), to start the day before sweeping Brevard, 3-0 (25-14, 25-14, 25-14), to wrap up the day.
Covenant is now 6-12 but is 5-2 in USA South competition. Piedmont falls to 5-13 and 1-4 in the conference as Brevard drops to 1-17 overall and 1-5 in the USA South.
Riley Howe recorded her third double-double of the season with 11 kills and 28 digs to go with three aces to lead the Scots in their four-set victory over the Lions.
Meriel Chupp posted 10 kills while Allie Jakes had nine.
Howe led all players in kills and digs while Emilly Moore dug 23 attacks. Leah Buys led all players with 38 assists.
The Scots were ready from the opening set claiming the first point of the match before winning the set 25-15. Covenant hit efficiently at a .250 clip with 12 kills on 40 attacks and only two errors.
Set number two was tied at three before the teams traded runs that saw the Lions nab tie things up at 17 with a three-point spurt. Covenant answered with an eight-point run capped off by a Moore ace to take the set 25-17.
Set three was similar but went to the Lions. Covenant took a 23-20 lead off a Piedmont attack error but the Lions were able to rattle off five straight points to win the set 25-23.
The two teams then battled back-and-forth in set four before Piedmont was able to break the gridlock and take a 23-22 lead to try and force a deciding fifth set. The Scots answered with a Chupp kill to even things at 23 and Buys ended the match with her fifth kill of the contest to win the set 25-23.
Erica Balkcum paced the Lions with 13 kills while Ali Wilkins posted 22 assists and Lainey Choiniere had 26 digs to lead Piedmont.
In match two, Howe recorded 10 kills on 21 swings with only one error and had eight digs, just two short from posting her third straight double-double to lead the Scots to a sweep over Brevard in the final match of the day.
Buys led all players with 27 assists in the contest and Moore recorded 18 digs to lead the Scots.
Covenant used an 8-1 run in the opening set to take an 18-11 advantage that the Tornadoes could not overcome en route to the first 25-14 set victory.
Set two had a similar look to it. The Scots jumped out to an 11-6 lead before using a 7-1 spurt to stretch the lead to 11 and make the score 21-20 before taking the set 25-14.
Set three was the most efficient of the day as the Scots posted a .542 attacking percentage as a team. Covenant had 14 kills on only 24 attacks with only one error in the set as they breezed their way through the set. Moore wrapped up the contest with an ace to win the final set 25-14 and the match 3-0.
Breanna O’Shields led Brevard with seven kills. Lande Simpson and Hannah Gordon led the Tornadoes with eight assists and Mariana Rodriguez led the way with 19 digs.
Covenant welcomes the defending national champion and top-ranked Emory on Tuesday on Lookout Mountain at 6 p.m.