The UVA Wise Highland Cavaliers fell to the Tusculum Pioneers on Tuesday, Oct. 19 by a score of 3-0 (25-6, 25-16, 25-16).

In the first set, The Pioneers came to play with an immediate kill by Raven Chance to start the match off. Although Cavalier Kelsey Green came back with a kill to even the playing field, Tusculum responded with a five-point run led by Emiah Burrowes to give the Pioneers an early lead. The Pioneers then went on another 6-point run led by a ball-handling error from the Cavs and ran away with a quick win, 25-6.

In the second set, the Pioneers led with three unanswered points. A Tusculum service error put a halt to their momentum for a moment but was quickly ramped back up by a kill from Carly Pigza. With a 13-6 score, two errors from the Pioneers and kills from Dannah Persinger and Green made the score 13-9 with the Cavs closing in. Yet once again, Tusculum went on another run with help from heavy hitters Raeley Matthews, Pigza, and Chance. The Pioneers were able to finish with a win and hold the Cavs to 16 points.

In the third, the Cavaliers were the first to strike with an attack error from the Pioneers and a Cassidy Farley kill. Tusculum then responded with four consecutive points led by a Matthews kill. The two teams exchanged points until a kill by Emma Johnson of Tusculum started a rally. Similar to the previous set, the Pioneers held onto a substantial lead and won by a score of 25-16.

Burrowes of the Pioneers led the night with 11 kills, while the leader on the Cavs' side was Adison Minor with four. Elise Carmichael was the assist leader with 17 while Cavalier Rylee Waye snagged eight. Tusculum's Carly Sosnowski ended the match with 16 digs and Minor found herself on the leaderboard for the Cavs again with 9 digs.
 

The Cavs are home once again in the David J. Prior Convocation Center on Saturday, Oct. 30 against Limestone University. First serve is slated for 2:00 pm. 

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