MARYVILLE, Tenn. Methodist volleyball opened up its 2023 season at the Maryville Labor Day Classic on Friday. Playing a pair of former league foes in non-conference action, the Monarchs defeated Huntingdon College, 3-1, in their first match before falling to host Maryville College by a 3-2 decision following match number two of the day.
JUST THE FACTS
Final scores: Methodist def. Huntingdon, 3-1 (24-26, 25-15, 25-14, 26-24); Maryville def. Methodist, 3-2 (25-16, 25-13, 30-28, 25-19, 15-7)
Records: Methodist 1-1, Huntingdon 0-1, Maryville 1-1
Event: Maryville Labor Day Classic
Host: Maryville College
Location: Cooper Athletic Center; Maryville, Tennessee
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Methodist tallied the first two points against the Hawks before a back-and-forth contest ensued for the reminder of the first set. A critical three-point rally, the longest one of the set, gave Huntingdon the lead before going on to take the set 26-24.
- The second and third sets were dominated by the Monarchs to put them up two sets to one.
- With Methodist down 3-1 in set two, Aniyah Tate took control by registering four kills over the next five consecutive Monarch points. Jamie Holton solidified the set victory for Methodist with three kills herself over another five-point swing.
- After a neck-and-neck start to the third set, a kill from Savannah Hovander sparked an 8-0 run for the Monarchs as they cruised to another set win.
- In the final set against the Hawks, Methodist held an 8-3 advantage after another Tate kill. The Monarchs modest lead lasted for majority of the set before a late 6-1 run by Huntingdon put the team in front 23-22. Luckily Methodist ended on a 4-1 rally to claim its first victory of 2023.
- The first set against the Scots saw the Monarchs take a 6-1 advantage before a five-point swing by Maryville made it 14-13. Later the combination of Tate, Jeanana Fowler and some Scot attack errors saw Methodist go on a 9-1 run and eventually take the set.
- The Monarchs showed no mercy in the second set as they held Maryville to only nine points.
- Even with a two set deficit, the Scots did not stop fighting and that would prove fruitful as Maryville stormed back to win the last three sets.
- Following a narrow see-saw battle third set, the Scots picked up a quick 6-1 lead to begin set four. Methodist fought back to get within two, 15-13, but an eight-point rally by Maryville was enough to force a fifth set between these two teams.
- Holton registered the first four points for the Monarchs to put them up 4-2 in this crucial final set. It would be all Scots from that point on as Methodist only managed to score three more points before dropping its first match of the year.
MORE TO IT
- The Monarch offense was led by Holton (28), Tate (24), and Fowler (20). The trio finished with 20+ kills between both matches, including Tate recording a career-high 13 kills in the match versus the Hawks.
- First year Methodist player Blake O'Brien put forward a strong defensive effort. She had exactly 31 digs in each contest with the Monarchs leading each one in digs as a team.
UP NEXT
Methodist will stay in Maryville for one more day of the classic. The Monarchs lone game on Saturday is versus Sewanee: University of the South with the match starting at 1 p.m.