Back-To-Back: CIU Earns Second Consecutive Women's Volleyball Tournament Title
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bryan (TN)
22-9
|
25 | 18 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
|
Milligan (TN)
26-7
|
17 | 25 | 19 | 21 | 1 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bryan (TN)
22-10
|
23 | 10 | 22 | 0 |
|
CIU (SC)
31-1
|
25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Reinhardt (GA)
22-8
|
23 | 25 | 15 | 17 | 1 |
|
CIU (SC)
30-1
|
25 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Bryan (TN) | Milligan (TN) |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .235 | .182 |
| Blocks | 10.0 | 9.0 |
| Digs | 83 | 70 |
| Aces | 7 | 1 |
CIU (SC)
| Game Statistics | Bryan (TN) | CIU (SC) |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .165 | .348 |
| Blocks | 2.0 | 5.0 |
| Digs | 63 | 63 |
| Aces | 4 | 4 |
Reinhardt (GA)
| Game Statistics | Reinhardt (GA) | CIU (SC) |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .173 | .305 |
| Blocks | 5.0 | 17.0 |
| Digs | 63 | 75 |
| Aces | 4 | 3 |
KINGSPORT, Tenn. - Top-seeded Columbia International hit a slight bump in the road in the semifinal round before refocusing and sweeping its way to the 2023 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Women's Volleyball Tournament championship on Saturday.
The tournament was held at the MeadowView Marriott Convention Center & Conference Resort in Kingsport, Tenn.
CIU needed four sets to get by No. 4 seed Reinhardt in the semifinal round; however, it only used three to defeat third-seeded Bryan in the title match. Bryan advanced to the final game with a 3-1 win over No. 2 seed Milligan.
In the championship match, the opening frame was a back-and-forth battle as the CIU and Bryan traded runs throughout the set. CIU appeared to be in control as a 4-1 surge sent it ahead 17-12, but a 5-0 run pulled Bryan level at 17-all. The Rams jumped back ahead 21-18, still, the Lions roared back to take the stanza at 21-all and the team set knotted at 23-all. CIU, though, collected the final two points of the frame thanks to a Hadassah Davis kill and a Bryan attacking error for the 25-23 set win.
The Rams kicked things up a notch in the second, leading by as much as 15 points en route to the 25-10 set win.
Bryan regrouped and challenged CIU in the third, but the Rams registered the 25-22 set win for the 3-0 victory and tournament championship.
Kira Rymer Attaway posted 13 kills and a .481 hitting percentage in the final for CIU, earning her Tournament MVP honors. Joining her on the All-Tournament Team are Hanah Weiss and Kelcey Mangum of CIU; Abby Rector and Raegan Malugin of Bryan; Sarah Sweet of Reinhardt; and Ella Maiden of Milligan.
Both CIU and Bryan receive automatic berths to the NAIA National Championship Tournament. The national bracket will be announced on Monday.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, Nov. 9
Game 1 - No. 7 Bluefield (18-14) def. Union (11-20), 3-2 (box)
Game 2 - No. 9 Montreat (15-10) def. No. 8 Pikeville (18-12), 3-0 (box)
Friday, Nov. 10
Game 3 - No. 1 Columbia International (29-1) def. No. 9 Montreat (15-11), 3-0 (box)
Game 4 - No. 2 Milligan (26-6) def. No. 7 Bluefield (18-15), 3-0 (box)
Game 5 - No. 4 Reinhardt (22-7) def. No. 5 Truett McConnell (22-12), 3-2 (box)
Game 6 - No. 3 Bryan (21-9) def. No. 6 Brenau (12-17), 3-0 (box)
Saturday, Nov. 11
Game 7 - No. 1 Columbia International (30-1) def. No. 4 Reinhardt (22-8), 3-1 (box)
Game 8 - No. 3 Bryan (22-9) def. No. 2 Milligan (26-7), 3-1 (box)
Game 9 - Championship Game - No. 1 Columbia International (31-1) vs. No. 3 Bryan (22-10), 3-0 (box)