LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- Behind a balanced offensive attack, the Covenant volleyball team got in the win column as the Scots swept visiting Mississippi University for Women, 3-0 (25-18, 25-9, 25-19) on Tuesday evening inside Barnes PE Center.
It was the home opener for Covenant (1-6) and the Scots extended their home winning streak to 12, a stretch that began in 2017.
Covenant hit a season-best .200 with 35 kills in the win, but the Scots were balanced across the board as no player recorded double-digit kills. Hannah Harris led the way with seven kills, while Alexa Spurling had six with Allie Jakes and Riley Howe adding five apiece. Sophie Puertas totaled 30 assists to go along with five digs.
Defensively, Josita Marshall led the Scots with eight digs. Hannah Stewart and Emily Moore had seven digs each.
Covenant methodically pulled away from the visiting Owls in the first set to go ahead 1-0 in the match. The Scots hit .333 with 16 kills collectively in the frame and used a 6-2 run in the latter half of the game to seize a comfortable lead. Up 13-11, Covenant scored six of the next eight points, a stretch that included two kills from Harris. Back-to-back kills from Harris later in the set gave the Scots the win and a match lead.
The Scots never trailed in the second set after scoring the first seven points. Stewart had two of her three aces on the night at the start of the game to help give Covenant a 7-0 lead. The lead would continue to grow as the Scots led by as many as 17 points (22-5) during the frame.
MUW would not go quietly as the Owls took a 9-5 lead in the third set. However, Covenant responded with its biggest run of the night as it scored eight straight points to take a 13-9 edge. Jakes, Howe, and Moore all had kills during the run that gave Covenant a lead it would not relinquish. Jakes would finish off the set, and the match, with her fifth kill of the night.
MUW (0-9) was led by Haley McMurphey's six kills. Mary Grace Prine had 10 digs and seven assists in the loss.
SCHEDULE UPDATE
Covenant will travel to Colorado Springs, Colo., to take part in the Pikes Peak Challenge, hosted by No. 2-ranked Colorado College. The schedule for the two-day event has been altered as Christopher Newport had to cancel plans due to Hurricane Florence. Covenant will now play Johnson & Wales (Colo.) on Friday at 4 p.m. MDT (6 p.m. EDT) followed by Colorado College at 6 p.m. MDT (8 p.m. EDT).
On Saturday, Covenant will again face host Colorado College at 12 p.m. MDT (2 p.m. EDT).
CONNECT WITH THE SCOTS
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