MARYVILLE, Tenn. - After 10 nonconference games to begin the year, Covenant started CCS play on Wednesday night with a big game at Maryville. A tightly contested match over the years was no different this go around as the home team reverse-swept Covenant to win the first of two games between the rivals scheduled for the 2025 season. 

Final: Covenant 2, Maryville 3 (25-19, 26-24, 20-25, 18-25, 13-15)
Records: Covenant (4-7, 0-1 CCS), Maryville (10-4, 1-0 CCS)

Covenant set the tone in the first set, scoring four of the first five points of the match. Maryville kept it close, but Covenant ended the set on a 4-0 run, capped off by a service ace from Amber Snook to win 25-19. 

With Covenant in control of the second set at 24-21, Maryville rattled off three points in a row to tie the set back up. However, after a timeout, Covenant used a Cali Sandhoff kill and a service ace from Scarlett Martz to win 26-24 and go up 2-0 in the match. 

Neither team led by more than three points for the duration of the third set. With the score at 21-20 in favor of the maroon and orange Scots, Maryville scored four points in a row, with two kills from Kylie Wilhelmi, to win 25-20 and keep the match alive.  

Maryville kept its momentum going to the fourth set, with the first five points of the set going its way. The home team didn't look back as it cruised to a 25-18 win to send the match to a decisive fifth set. 

Covenant dug itself in a hole early on, trailing 5-2 after seven points. Covenant slowly hung around before a kill by Lauren Niemeyer, and a Maryville service error put the score tied again at 13. A Maryville timeout was called, allowing it to regroup, before back-to-back kills gave it the 15-13 win and the reserve sweep. 

Maryville had 60 kills to Covenant's 46 while Covenant had the slight edge in digs at 73-68. Both squads had a strong serving game, with Maryville totaling 11 service aces and Covenant posting 10. 

Sandhoff had her second triple-double of the year in the loss with 17 assists, 14 kills, and 11 digs. Snook posted a double-double with 17 digs and 15 assists. Kinsley Dupree had a career-high in kills with nine. 

Maryville rode four-time CCS Player of the Week winner Wilhelmi all night as she totaled 22 kills and 19 digs. 

The result moves Covenant to 17-34 all-time against Maryville.     

UP NEXT: Covenant travels to Dectatur, Georgia on Saturday for a Tri-Match with Agnes Scott and Huntingdon.  

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