ATHENS, TN - Bryan College volleyball dropped a hard-fought match to Tennessee Wesleyan University 3-0 (19-25, 25-27, 18-25) on Monday evening in Athens, Tennessee.

The Lions (1-18, 0-3) showed flashes of competitive play throughout the match, particularly in the second set where they rallied from deficits multiple times to tie the score at 25-25 before ultimately falling 25-27. Despite the loss, Bryan College demonstrated resilience and improved offensive execution compared to recent outings.

Set-by-Set Breakdown
The first set saw Bryan College jump out to an early 3-0 lead behind strong serving from Elise Brew, who recorded two service aces to open the match. The Lions maintained their advantage through the middle portions of the set, leading 17-14 after an attack error by Tennessee Wesleyan. However, the Bulldogs closed the set on an 11-2 run, capitalizing on Bryan College attack errors to claim the opener 25-19.

The second set proved to be the most competitive of the evening. After falling behind 0-5 early, the Lions mounted multiple comeback efforts. Trailing 18-21, Bryan College scored four consecutive points to take a 22-21 lead, energized by kills from Sydney Enslen and strong serving from Shelby Kelly. The set featured eight ties and multiple lead changes before Tennessee Wesleyan prevailed 27-25.

Bryan College struggled to maintain momentum in the third set, falling behind 5-15 before staging a late rally. The Lions outscored the Bulldogs 9-3 during one stretch but couldn't overcome the early deficit, dropping the final set 25-18.

Individual Performances
Leah Lindquist led Bryan College's offensive attack with 8 kills on 31 attempts for a .161 hitting percentage. Shelby Kelly contributed 7 kills. Maya Gipson orchestrated the offense with 17 assists.

Defensively, Avery Baxter anchored the back row with 13 digs, while Jess Cornelius added 8 digs. The Lions struggled at the net, managing only 2 total blocks compared to Tennessee Wesleyan's 8.

Tennessee Wesleyan was led by Alley Hibdon's 9 kills on .368 hitting, while Ella Brannan and Amya Sutton each contributed 9 kills as well. The Bulldogs' balanced attack and superior blocking proved to be the difference.

Bryan College will look to bounce back in their next contest as they continue conference play at Milligan on Friday. The Lions remain focused on improvement and building toward their next victory.