BEREA, Ky. -- Emma Kalbfleisch had a season-high 17 kills, but the Covenant volleyball team could not hold a one-set lead as it fell to Berea, 3-1 (23-25, 25-16, 25-16, 25-22) on Tuesday night inside the Seabury Center.
Covenant drops to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in USA South play. Berea, which has won six straight, goes to 7-2 and 3-2.
Kalbfleisch had 17 of Covenant's 41 kills on the night as the sophomore hit a robust .571 on 28 total attempts to go along with six digs and three total blocks. Rachel Bartlett had 29 assists, five kills, and 11 digs with three blocks.
Covenant held Berea to .096 hitting percentage in the opening set and came back from a seven-point deficit late to eke out a 25-23 win to take a 1-0 match lead.
The Scots trailed 20-13 but answered with a 6-1 run, capped by an Alexa Spurling ace, to get within 21-19. After Berea got a point back, Kalbfleisch registered a kill and Bartlett followed with a solo block to tie the score at 22-22.
The Scots finished off the comeback win in the set with a combined block from Kalbfleisch and Bartlett to take the match lead.
Covenant out-blocked Berea, 5-3, on the night.
Berea would build large leads in the second and third sets and Covenant could not rally as the host Mountaineers took a 2-1 match lead.
In the fourth, Berea took a 5-1 lead early on but Covenant responded to tie the score at 6-6 on a Bartlett kill. The Scots took a 16-14 lead on another Bartlett kill and led 19-17 before Berea rattled off five straight points to gain a 22-19 lead.
Three consecutive points from the Scots, highlighted by kills from Spurling and Meriel Chupp, evened the score at 22, but Berea notched the final three points to finish off the victory.
Sara Delk led the Scots' defense with 14 digs, while Leah Buys had 13 with Anna Baldwin and Savannah Savage recording 11 each.
Deanna De La Torre had 17 kills and 20 digs to lead Berea. Adrienne Roberts added 47 assists and 12 digs.
UP NEXT
Covenant will travel to Piedmont for a pair of matches on Saturday. Match one is set for 1 p.m.
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