BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard College Tornados Volleyball team (1-18, 1-6 USAS) put together a late rally that included a third-set win, 25-23, before ultimately falling in four sets to the visiting Piedmont College Lions (7-13, 3-4 USAS) by a final score of 3-1 on Wednesday evening at the Boshamer Gymnasium.
Sophomore right-side hitter Brook Groves set a new career-high 12 kills to lead the Tornado attack, while sophomore defensive specialist Morgan Graham's career-best 21 digs led the Tornado defense. Freshman Breanna O'Shields added 18 digs while defending USA South Conference Defensive Player of the Week Mariana Rodriguez tallied 13 digs. Junior Hannah Gordon dished out 28 total assists, while freshman Sarah Hutchens tallied three blocks (two solo, one assist).
The match marked Brevard's first back within the confines of the Boshamer Gymnasium since a September 7 non-conference tri-match.
The two sides played a tight first set that Piedmont pulled away with late, 25-19. The Tornados kept the set within striking distance before the Lions outscored BC, 9-6 to close out the set.
Piedmont controlled the second set handily, 25-11, before a highly competitive third frame. Brevard wiped away Piedmont's four-point lead tying the set at 13 points apiece. The Tornados took their first lead of the frame, 15-14, following a Hutchens solo block. Piedmont and Brevard then battled back-and-forth until the Lions held a slim 23-22 lead. From there, Brevard racked up three-consecutive points, with a Groves kill, a Piedmont attack error, and a Piedmont ball-handling error clinching the third set for the Tornados.
Brevard held an advantage through half of the fourth set before the Lions took their first lead of the frame, 14-13, from a Hannah Kate Chadwell. Brevard retook the lead, 16-15 from a Timiah McGhee service ace before Piedmont surged to the match-clinching set win, 25-22.
The Tornados return to action with a USA South quad match hosted by Maryville College on Saturday, October 19 in Maryville, Tennessee. Brevard faces Berea College at 12 p.m. in neutral-site action before playing the host Maryville Scots at 4 p.m.
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