Bryan drops two to Montreat and Brevard

Bryan dropped a hard-fought match to visiting Montreat College on Friday night 3-1 (30-26, 30-32, 26-30, 24-30). After a strong start in game one, the Lions could not hold back Montreat (perfect in conference play). With leads in games 1 and 2, the Lions were not able to sustain their efforts and allowed Montreat to catch them from behind. Game three saw the lead change several times before the visitors were able to finish with a 4-1 scoring burst. The Lions never led in game four. Captain Kim Barlow paced the Lions with a strong effort up front (17 kills, 6 solo blocks, 3 assisted blocks), while Abby Humphrey posted another double-double performance in the loss (17 kills, 12 digs). Kathryn Rawley posted a double-double as well, with 36 assists and 13 digs. Christine Pratt finished with a season-high 31 digs in the effort.

Saturday, the Lions faced a tough situation both on and off the court. Brevard proved too much for the Lions on the court, posting a 21-30, 18-30, 30-32 win over the Lions (0-3, 2-9). Kim Barlow again paced the lions with 13 kills, while Abby Humphrey added 14 digs and 7 kills. News of the death of former Lions baseball player Brett Williams on Friday night affected the play of the Lions on Saturday. "Our team has had to deal with several deaths within our circle of influence. Several of our players are carrying a tremendous burden right now. The Saturday game is really not that important in the grand scheme of things. We need to help each player recover emotionally, and also need time to heal physically from our early season injuries. Hopefully, a couple of days off will help us move in the right direction," commented coach Sayles. Tuesday's match against Tennessee Wesleyan was rescheduled for Sept. 27 due to Williams' funeral. The Lions next match will be at home against Union College on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.