BREVARD, N.C.  With two wins on Saturday, the Methodist women's volleyball team moved to 8-2 on the season – the program's best 10-game start to a season since 2018 (also 8-2). The Monarchs swept USA South opponents Mary Baldwin and Brevard in back-to-back contests.

JUST THE FACTS
Final scores: Methodist def. Mary Baldwin, 3-0 (25-9, 25-14, 25-16); Methodist def. Brevard, 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-15)
Records: Methodist 8-2 (3-0 USA South), Mary Baldwin 2-9 (0-2), Brevard 3-5 (1-1)
Event: USA South Tri-Match
Host: Brevard College
Location: Boshamer Gymnasium; Brevard, North Carolina

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Methodist accelerated to an 8-1 lead with some credit to multiple errors made by Mary Baldwin. Up 10-5, the Monarchs took seven straight points – including three straight kills by Jeanana Fowler – to make the score 17-5, which quickly became a dominant 25-9 set win.
• The Fighting Squirrels claimed the first point of the second set but conceded the lead to Methodist shortly thereafter. Leading 10-7, the Monarchs used an 8-1 run (which included two kills by Savannah Hovander) to increase the distance between themselves and their opponents to 10 points. Mary Baldwin rallied with four straight points to decrease the difference, but Methodist finished off the set by winning seven of the final nine points with six kills, including four for Fowler, one for Jamie Holton, and one for Georgia Van Kirk.
• The Monarchs began the third set versus the Fighting Squirrels with four kills – two by Hovander and two by Aniyah Tate. A service ace by Hannah Hewett boosted Methodist to a 5-0 lead, then three Mary Baldwin errors made the score 8-0. Methodist slowly chipped away at the remaining points to be won, reaching 13 points behind four more kills, including one by Georgia Locklear. The Fighting Squirrels battled all the way back to a two-point difference (18-16) before the Monarchs closed out the match with a seven-point win streak. Fowler recorded kills on the final two points, giving her 14 on the match.
• With two Hovander kills to begin the match against Brevard, Methodist jumped out to a 3-0 lead. The Monarchs led by as many as seven, but then conceded seven straight to the Tornados to tie things up at 15-15. Methodist took the next four points with kills by Hovander and Holton, as well as a service ace by Carrie Jordan, then continued to outpace Brevard all the way to a 25-20 set win.
• As Hovander and Mahala Carter earned two kills apiece early, the Monarchs once again worked from in front with a 7-2 advantage. The Tornados took the lead twice, and continued to nip at the heels of the Monarchs after Methodist reclaimed the lead. The Monarchs held strong under pressure, turning a 22-21 lead into a 25-21 set.
• The Methodist attackers feasted early in the third, earning eight kills (four for Fowler, two for Holton and two for Hovander) as Methodist took a 10-2 lead. The other two points came from Blake O'Brien, who notched two service aces. The Monarchs left no question about it as they comfortably controlled the third set all the way to a 25-15 victory.

MORE TO IT

• This is the first time Methodist has started 3-0 in conference play since the league became known as the USA South Athletic Conference in 2003.
• Hannah Hewett and Blake O'Brien each recorded four service aces on the day with the team tallying 14 total.
• Jeanana Fowler led the Monarchs in total kills between the two matches, recording 14 in each match.

UP NEXT
The Monarchs play in Fayetteville for the first time this season on Wednesday, hosting William Peace University at 7 p.m.