FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  Methodist volleyball finally took to the court Saturday afternoon -- 487 days since it last competed -- in the Riddle Center but the countdown for its next win will have to wait a little longer as visiting William Peace University swept the Monarchs, 3-0, in USA South Athletic Conference action.

Methodist collected more total attacks in the match, but the Pacers' blistering success rate (.363) was tough to match.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: William Peace def. Methodist, 3-0 (25-16, 25-10, 25-18)
Records: Methodist 0-1, William Peace 1-1
Location: Riddle Center; Fayetteville, N.C.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Early in the opening set the Monarchs were holding their own, trailing but within a side out or service point, until William Peace broke free from a narrow 8-7 lead with a pair of 7-0 runs.
• Methodist tried to rally late, fending off match point with its own 5-0 stretch, before the Pacers notched a set-winning point.
• A kill from Megan Andrews opened set No. 2 scoring -- for Methodist's first lead in the match -- but William Peace answered and more than doubled up the Monarch attack across the remainder of the set.
• Methodist seemed to steady in the third set, leading as late at 10-9 after a Kaeli Ryan kill and a ball-handling error on the Pacers' side of the net on the ensuing point. William Peace point streaks, 4-0 and 3-0, in the next few services changed the complexion of the set, though, and allowed the Pacers to complete the match sweep.

DATA DROP

• Methodist did accumulate more total attacks, 99 to 91, in the match, but its .141 attack rate was more than doubled by the Pacers' .363 rate.
• Contributing to the lower figure on Methodist's attack was William Peace's 48 digs in the match, 13 more than on the Monarchs' defensive side of the net.
• Andrews led Methodist's attack with nine kills, while Kendall Craig and Erica East added six apiece. The Pacers put two into double figures -- Brienna Laskowski, with 11, and Kelsey Bierbauer, with 10.
• Geneva Barriger led all blockers at the net with three block assists, as she and the Monarchs registered 3.0 blocks to only 1.5 for William Peace.
• In her first collegiate match, Methodist's Hannay Hewett registered 21 set assists, only two shy of the Pacers' Brittany Carpenter's match-high 23 assists.

NEXT UP

• Methodist will travel to Greensboro College for its next outing, a 7 p.m. USA South match on Wednesday.
• William Peace will play a non-conference match Wednesday against visiting North Carolina Wesleyan College.