DAYTON, Tenn. – The Bryan College Lions volleyball team captured their first Appalachian Athletic Conference victory of the season with a 3-0 sweep of Montreat on Friday evening at Summers Gym, winning by set scores of 26-24, 25-18, 25-14.

The Lions (2-20, 1-5 AAC) showed steady improvement throughout the match, hitting .023 in the opening set before elevating their performance to .200 in the second set and a dominant .296 in the third set to close out the Cavaliers.

Shelby Kelly paced the Lions' offense with an outstanding performance, recording 10 kills on 19 attempts with just one error for a .474 hitting percentage. Kelly also contributed three service aces and five digs while totaling 13 points to lead all scorers.

Bella Beard added seven kills while hitting .238, and Leah Lindquist chipped in seven kills of her own. Sydney Enslen contributed five kills in the winning effort.

Bryan's serving proved crucial, as the Lions tallied 10 aces compared to Montreat's eight. Kelly led the way with three aces, while Avery Baxter added three of her own. Elise Brew contributed two aces in the victory.

The Lions showed a solid defensive effort with 42 digs as a team. Avery Baxter led the back row with nine digs, while Elise Brew added seven. Jess Cornelius and Maya Gipson each recorded six digs, with Gipson also distributing 13 assists to run the offense. Kaci Wade provided additional playmaking with nine assists while adding five digs and a kill in the winning effort.

The victory marks a significant milestone for Bryan, snapping a lengthy losing streak and providing the Lions with their first conference win of the 2025 season. The team's hitting percentage improved dramatically as the match progressed, a positive sign heading into the remainder of the conference schedule.

The Lions will look to build on this momentum as they continue their conference slate. They will host Truett McConnell University tomorrow afternoon at 1 pm.