WILMORE, Ky. - Covenant and Maryville met in the CCS Semifinals for the second year in a row. As has become normal when the two teams meet, the match went to five sets. This time it went the way of the Maroon and Orange Scots by a score of 15-13 in the final set, ending Covenant's chase of a four-peat as CCS Tournament Champions. 

Final: Covenant 2, Maryville 3
Records: Covenant (20-14, 13-3 CCS), Maryville (24-7, 13-3 CCS)

The first set proved to be an indicator of how closely contested the Semifinal match was going to be. Covenant won it 27-25, as it held off three set points from Maryville to do so. Additionally, Covenant came down from six points earlier in the set to take the 1-0 lead. 

Maryville scored six of the first seven points of set two and didn't look back. It stayed in control for the duration of the set to win 25-18 and tie the match at one. 

Set three was another wild set, similar to the first one. As it did in set one, it went the Blue and White Scots' way. Once again, Covenant held off three set points from Maryville. This time it went all the way to 29-27 before a winner was decided. Covenant scored the final three points of the set to take it and go up 2-1.

Maryville flipped the script in set four, as it was its turn to win a close set. Neither side led by more than three points for the duration of it. When it came down to the end with the score tied at 24, consecutive kills from Maryville closed the set, 26-24, sending the match to a fifth set. 

Early on it looked like Maryville was going to cruise to a stress-free fifth-set win, as it was up 8-2. However, Covenant came roaring back using a 6-1 run later in the set to get within one point at 14-13. On the ensuing point, CCS Player of the Year Kylie Wilhelmi, delivered the winning kill for Maryville, one of 33 she had in the match. 

As you would expect, after four of the five sets were decided by two points, the team box score was similar. Maryville had a 71-63 advantage in kills. Service aces were in favor of Covenant 10-9. Defensively, Maryville tallied 69 digs while Covenant had 62. Lastly, both teams had nine total blocks. 

Leading the Covenant attack was Scarlett Martz with a career-high 15 kills and Delaney Stirm with 11 kills. Additionally, Gabby Sumrall totaled nine kills with a .600 hitting percentage. Cali Sandhoff, with 24 assists, and Amber Snook, with 19 assists, set up the Scots' hitters all afternoon. Snook also had 11 digs for the double-double in her last college game. Sarah Jennings and Kinsley Dupree also had 11 digs. 

Covenant moves to 18-35 all-time against Maryville. The loss marks Covenant's first ever in the CCS Tournament, as it had won its first 10 in the competition across four seasons.

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