FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  After claiming the first two sets over Meredith, the Methodist women's volleyball team dropped the final three frames of Thursday's match, falling 3-2 to the Avenging Angels. Despite their best efforts, the Monarchs were unable to fend off the comeback by the top team in the conference.

JUST THE FACTS
Final scores: Meredith def. Methodist, 3-2 (24-26, 22-25, 25-20, 25-22, 15-8)
Records: Methodist 15-8 (10-6 USA South), Meredith 20-6 (14-2)
Location: March F. Riddle Center; Fayetteville, North Carolina

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Down 4-2 in the first set, Methodist recorded the first run of the match, taking four-straight points which included a Julia Mundy ace and a Jeanana Fowler kill. When Meredith fought back to a 16-13 lead, the Monarchs claimed six of the next seven points with two kills by Fowler and two more by Aniyah Tate. With the set tied 22-22, Jamie Holton notched two kills for the Monarchs to force set point, but the Avenging Angels took two of their own to retie the score, 24-24. After a Mahala Carter kill that gave Methodist the advantage, Mundy sent a serve across the net that Meredith couldn't handle, bringing an end to the set.
• It wasn't until the 20th point that either team claimed a lead greater than one point in the second set. Up 11-9, the Monarchs extended their lead to 15-12 before Meredith fought back to within one (17-16). Methodist took five of the next six (with two kills by Tate and one from Savannah Hovander) to give themselves a five-point cushion. Beginning at 24-19, it took the Monarchs four attempts to secure the set victory as Fowler unleashed a hit that resulted in another kill. It was Methodist's best set as the Monarchs notched 17 kills compared to Meredith's 12.
• Methodist seemed to be in control to start the third set, rolling to a 10-6 lead. The Avenging Angels began to heat up, tying the set at 12-12 and soon taking a 15-14 advantage. Methodist would take the next point, followed by two more for Meredith, followed by two kills from Fowler that tied the set at 17-17. From there, the visitors found a rhythm that helped them gain six points in a row, including three that came from service aces by Meredith's Lillie Davis. The run put the set out of reach for the Monarchs.
• Tied 2-2 in the fourth set, Methodist pushed ahead with three consecutive points – kills by Hovander and Carter, and a service ace by Blake O'Brien. With the Monarchs leading 12-9, Meredith surpassed Methodist, winning eight of the next ten points to claim a 17-14 lead. Unwilling to go down easily, the Monarchs momentarily recaptured the momentum, taking five of the next six. In similar fashion, the Avenging Angels turned their one-point deficit into a three-point advantage with five out of the next six themselves. Methodist won the next two points, pressuring Meredith though still behind, 23-22. The Avenging Angels finished took the final two points to send the match into a fifth set.
• The visitors controlled the tempo of the final set, swiftly pounding their way to a 4-1 lead. A kill each from Holton and Fowler brought the Monarchs to within one, 7-6, before Meredith claimed the following five points to widen the gap to 12-6, which quickly became a 15-8 victory for the Avenging Angels.

MORE TO IT

• Jeanana Fowler set a career high in kills, earning a match-high of 24.
• Hannah Hewett recorded a career-high 31 digs, topping her previous high of 29. Her best mark of the season prior to Thursday was 26.
• While Methodist remains near the top of the league standings with a 10-6 conference record, the Monarchs are now 0-5 versus USA South opponents in matches that reach the fifth set.

UP NEXT
Methodist plays one final road game of the regular season as the Monarchs head to Rocky Mount on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. match versus North Carolina Wesleyan.