MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Stillman College Volleyball team showed grit in the season debut against the Southeastern University Fire, but the Tigers came up short in a 3-0 loss in the first match of the Faulkner University Invitational in Tine Davis Gymnasium. 

SEU (6-1) showed early cohesion with a 9-0 run to start the match. However, a strong front line for Stillman started to show and helped the Tigers outscore the Fire 19-16 the rest of the way, led by blocks from Briana Moore and Raine Patterson. The strong start from SEU enabled the team to take the opening set 25-19. 

Set two started evenly as Stillman battled to trail 8-7 after an attack error from Emily Maske. From there, the Fire outdueled the Tigers 17-4 to claim the second game 25-11. 

The third set started similarly to the second game as Stillman battled to within two points after Patterson smashed a kill to move the score to 7-5. But once more, SEU pushed ahead with a 9-1 run to go up 19-8 before settling on a 25-13 win in the third to capture the 3-0 sweep over Stillman. 

Katelyn Lawson led the way with four kills. Paige Eason and Keslyn Myers-Pittman each finished with a pair of kills. Patterson and Moore were solid at the net as both Tigers posted five blocks, while Eason earned a block.

Kelis Conley passed four assists, while Zoey Sales and Erin Nelson posted three assists. 

Sales led the back row with nine digs, Gracie Fjeldstad had four and Shelby Morris added three digs to lead the squad. 

Stillman College returns to action tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 9 a.m. against Reinhardt University and wrapping the Invitational against the hosting Faulkner University Eagles at 3 p.m.