Game Information
Score: Keiser 3, Montreat 0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-21)
Records: Keiser (2-0), Montreat (1-2)
Location: McAlister Gymnasium – Montreat, N.C.
Montreat Starters: C. Davis, M. Walker, K. Harper, M. Condon, E. Howard, C. Glover; libero – K. Johnson
Keiser Starters: M. Minke, S. Thompson, N. Papineau, V. Hietala, C. Zamora, N. McKown; libero – M. Leff
 
Highlights
Nikki McKown and Veera Hietala combined for 17 kills as the Keiser volleyball squad swept host Montreat, 3-0, in the second game of the Volley in the Mountains tournament in Montreat, N.C. The victory marked the first time that Keiser has defeated Montreat, improving to 1-2 all time in program history. Hietala recorded a .667 hitting percentage for the competition. Nicole Papineau recorded 32 assists, backing up her 37 assists performance recorded earlier this afternoon in a 3-1 victory over Point Park. McKown and Chantelle Zamora combined for 23 digs, with McKown leading the way with 12.
 
How it Happened
Set One:
The Seahawks sprang out to a 6-2 advantage to begin the first set, due in large part to two kills by Samantha Thompson. Montreat then closed the gap to just one, winning four out of the next five points. However, Keiser never relinquished the lead, regaining momentum and extending the lead to a comfortable 16-9 advantage. Thompson and Hietala led the attack for the Seahawks for much of the first set, combining for eight kills. Keiser cruised through the finish line of the first frame to defeat the host Cavaliers, 25-18. Hietala posted an astounding .800 hitting percentage in the first set, while Papineau notched 13 assists.
 
Set Two:
Set two began much like the first with the visiting Seahawks jumping out to an early advantage, this time with a 3-0 edge. Much like the first go round, Montreat clawed back, this time evening the score at six apiece. The Seahawks rattled off seven consecutive points to reclaim the lead, widening the margin to 13-7. Four of the seven points came from McKown, including three service aces. Montreat retaliated with four unanswered points of its own to cut the deficit to 14-11. However, Keiser held the Cavaliers at bay outscoring Montreat 11-6 to claim the second set, 25-17.
 
Set Three:
The third set began with Montreat taking the early three-point advantage. McKown and Hietala recorded one kill apiece in the Seahawks' first four points, cutting the deficit to one. Down 5-4, Keiser rallied for five unanswered points off the service of Hietala and back-to-back kills from Megan Minke. The Cavaliers rebounded to go on an 8-1 run to reclaim the lead 13-10, forcing Keiser Head Coach Chris Taylor to call the timeout. Following the stoppage of play, the Seahawks fired off kill after kill to even the contest at 16 apiece. Keiser tallied the game's next three points to claim the 19-16 advantage, concluding with Hietala's seventh kill of the evening. With Keiser ahead 22-19, McKown and Hietala recorded their ninth and eight kills to help the Seahawks pull off the sweep of Montreat, downing the Cavaliers 25-21 in the third frame.   
 
Coach's Quote:
"Very happy to come away 2-0 on the first day, defeating two good teams in Point Park and Montreat. Definitely happy with the way we started these two matches. Looking forward to seeing this team continuing to improve as we get back on the court tomorrow with two more games."
 
Team Leaders:
Montreat
Kills: 12 – Anyla Kryeziu
Assists: 20 – Megan Condon
Digs: 11 – Kendra Johnson

Keiser
Kills: 9 – Nikki McKown
Assists: 32 – Nicole Papineau
Digs: 12 – Nikki McKown
 
Up Next
Keiser will take part in day two of the Volley in the Mountains tournament tomorrow afternoon beginning with Shawnee State at noon. The Seahawks will then conclude the tournament with a 4 p.m. showdown against Milligan.