The Covenant College volleyball team ended a week on the road with a tri-match at Piedmont against them and LaGrange. The Scots wasted no time, sweeping the Lions and Panthers before heading back to Lookout Mountain.
Covenant had three attack errors early on as Piedmont scored the first four points of the match. The Scots battled back to eventually tie the set at 10 after a service ace by Anissa Snyder capped off a 4-0 run. A kill by Delaney Stirm followed by two kills from Hannah Mathis fueled a 5-0 fun for Covenant as it led 19-13. Scarlett Martz delivered a kill before Piedmont had an attack error that ended the set at 25-18.
Cali Sandhoff delivered two service aces in the early going in the second set as the Scots were in front 6-1. Consecutive attack errors by the Lions pushed the Scots lead to double-digits at 16-6.
Covenant scored the final three points of the set as a kill by Stirm closed it out at 25-10.
In the third set, Covenant gained some cushion at 8-4 after a 4-0 run highlighted by consecutive service aces from Kelsey Carman. The two teams traded points for a while as a kill by Sandhoff kept Covenant up four points at 18-14. Sandhoff ended the match strong with back-to-back service aces followed by a kill to put the final score at 25-16.
Covenant moves to 26-10 all-time against Piedmont. Sandhoff led Covenant with a double-double, posting 11 kills and 10 digs. Kennedy Barber also had a strong game with 30 assists and seven digs. Mathis had a team-high 12 kills and five total blocks. Sarah Jennings led the Scots in digs with 26, which is a season-high.
In the second match, an early 7-0 run that included four service aces in a row by Sandhoff put the Scots in front 7-1. The Panthers worked their way back immediately to tie the set at eight.
Covenant went on a 4-0 run, capped off by a kill from Mathis to move up 18-15.
LaGrange wouldn't draw any closer than two points as a kill from Carman ended the set at 25-21.
Three early kills from Mathis helped give Covenant a 10-4 lead in the second set. Covenant pushed its lead to double-figures at 18-7 after a service ace from Snyder. Carman ended the set at 25-11 with back-to-back service aces.
Both teams were neck-and-neck in the early proceedings of the third set with the score tied at nine. A 4-0 run with two kills by both Carman and Mathis for Covenant gave it some separation at 17-12.
Five points ended up being the difference at 25-20 as Carman closed the set and the match with a kill.
Covenant moves to 29-2 all-time against LaGrange. Mathis posted 13 kills and four total blocks to lead the way. With nine kills, nine digs, and seven service aces, Carman did a little bit of everything for the Scots. Other notable stats included 29 assists from Barber and 19 digs from Jennings.
Covenant takes on Belhaven and Wesleyan on Oct 12 in a tri-match beginning at noon.