Louisville, KY - Lyon College Scots volleyball opened SLIAC conference play with a strong performance on the road, defeating the Spalding University Golden Eagles in four sets (25-20, 21-25, 25-23, 25-13). After taking the first set, the Scots regrouped from a narrow second-set loss to edge out the third and dominate the fourth, securing a 3-1 victory to start conference play. Lyon is now 6-7 on the year and 1-0 in conference. 

Scots found themselves down 7-3 in the first set off blocks, service aces, and kills from the Eagles. An attack error by Spalding would stutter their offense, but Avery Fuller would use this to scratch her first service ace of the match and Keeley Beary would get her first kill assisted by Cristen Cleveland to close the lead to two, 8-6. Scots would stumble, find themselves handing the Eagles three points off attack errors, 11-6. Down, Lyon's offense would finally kick into gear as they would score four with kills from Cleveland and Mollie McCoy assisted by Caroline Snow making the difference, 11-10. Snow would run the offense setting up three key kills from Cleveland, Fuller, and McCoy to put the Scots in front 15-13. Spalding's mistakes would add to Lyon's lead, but the Eagles would take a one point lead late off kills, aces, and errors 19-18. Fuller responded with three aces of her own to put the game away, this followed by a final kill from McCoy set up by Olivia Locke would end the first set. 

In the second Lyon would be up, 7-4, mostly off errors and two kills from Fuller and Beary. Spalding would begin to close the lead but Lyon would extend away off kills from Cleveland and Fuller set up by Madeline Hopson, 10-5. Spalding would close the lead rapidly to make it 16-10. Snow would set up two kills for Cleveland and one for Beary to close the lead to two, 16-14, but the Golden Eagles would respond widening the lead.  Hopson would set up Fuller to send one to the hardwood, 22-20, but an error would set up Spalding to drive in two kills to take the second set. 

Down 5-2, an error by Spalding would give Scots back momentum, a Neveah Ghan kill set up by Locke, block from Cleveland and Fuller, and Hopson service ace would follow to make it 6-5. Five Golden Eagle errors start the Scots 6-0 which was capped off with a Reyleigh Twist kill, 14-9. Spalding would close the lead to four off an error and a kill, 14-10. Snow would facilitate three kills from Cleveland, Beary, and McCoy to keep Scots lead at four 18-14. But Spalding would close the lead off two errors by Lyon along with a kill and an ace. Now tied, 18-18, a 5-0 run from the Scots would bring them within one point of victory off kills from Twist and McCoy, a block by Beary and McCoy, and two Eagle errors, 24-20. Spalding would get close but fall, 25-23, after Snow set up McCoy to strike down the final kill of the third set. 

A Eagles block began the fourth set, this was quickly followed by a service ace to maket it 2-0 Spalding. McCoy would drive in the first kill from Snow and a block from Beary and McCoy would tie it, 2-2. Scots would go on a 4-0 lead started with two Eagles errors, a Locke service ace, and a kill by Fuller assisted by Snow, 6-4. Fuller widended the lead to three with two more kills set up by Snow and Hopson, 8-5. Eagles would close the score to just one point 8-7. A block by Fuller and Cleveland would begin a 4-0 run for the Scots with Twist adding another kill, 12-7. Two service aces from Fuller extend Lyon's lead to five, 15-10. Scots dominance continued with another 5-0 run starting with a Twist kill, Snow service ace, and two kills from Twist and Beary assisted by Snow to make it 20-11. Snow would set up two McCoy kills that drove in the dagger, 23-12, final two kills Beary and Fuller would win the match for the Scots. ]

Avery Fuller lead the team in points (21), kills (14), service aces (6), and had a .650 hitting average. She contributed two blocks and two digs. Keeley Beary lead the team in blocks having four. She added eight kills, four digs, and one assist. Caroline Snow facilitated the offense with 25 assists. She also added a service ace. Olivia Locke and Cristen Cleveland lead the team defensively with nine digs. Cleveland contributed eight kills, one assist, and two blocks. Locke added two assists and one ace. 

Scots will compete tomorrow against Spalding University and Greenville University in the Spalding hosted tri-match on Saturday, September 27 starting at 9:00 AM & 11:00 AM.