LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. – The Methodist women's volleyball team battled from start to finish in four sets on Friday night, but the Scots of Covenant College came through victorious, defeating the Monarchs 3-1 inside the Barnes P.E. Center to open the 2026 Covenant Classic.
Final Scores: Covenant def. Methodist, 3–1 (23–25, 25–21, 1–25, 18-25)
Records: Methodist 0–1 (0–0 USA South), Covenant 1-1 (0–0 CCS)
Location: Barnes P.E. Center; Lookout Mountain, Ga.
How It Happened
- Set one was a back-and-forth battle from start to finish, with the Monarchs narrowly dropping the battle 25-23 to the Scots. Sophomore Addison Johnson dominated the outside for the Monarchs, logging four kills in the opening stanza, with sophomore Grace Tillery controlling the middle with three kills of her own.
- The second set would feature the Scots getting flustered on the offense, recording twelve attack errors and two service errors, giving the Monarchs the leg up for a 25-21 set victory over Covenant to tie the match at one a piece.
- Not much would accumulate in Methodist's favor in set three, with Grace Tillery and junior Kassidy Edge providing the lone opportunities for the Monarchs to build momentum in their favor, resulting in a 25-1 defeat in the third set.
- A nine point rally would open for the Scots in set four, however the Monarchs would drive the contest back in their favor with a pair of kills by Savannah Hovander and Grace Tillery, with a service ace by Harper Evans. However, defensive miscues would occur for the Monarchs late in the stanza, resulting in a 25-18 set defeat and the final score of the match being 3-1 in favor of the Scots.
By The Numbers
- Sophomore Ashley Farman led the Monarchs with 13 digs while on the defense, followed closely by sophomore Payten Bracey with 12 digs overall.
- Senior Savannah Hovander led the Monarchs offensively in kills with eight. Addison Johnson followed suit with six kills of her own versus Covenant.
- Savannah Hovander concluded the match with a team-high hitting percentage of .182 against the Scots.
- Harper Evans kept Methodist in the clash during her collegiate debut, leading the Monarchs with 18 assists to give Methodist opportunities to strike.
Up Next
Methodist looks to rebound tomorrow in day two of the Covenant Classic, battling the Lynx of Rhodes College and the Scots of Covenant College once more inside the Barnes P.E. Center. First serve for both sets is slated for 11:00AM and 1:00 PM.
