Pioneers Drop Tight Three-Set Match at Brenau

Gainesville, Ga. – Vying for a spot in the upcoming Appalachian Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament, the Spartanburg Methodist College volleyball team dropped a 25-22, 25-22, 25-22 decision to host Brenau on Saturday.

Spartanburg Methodist College (12-18, 7-10 AAC) had a balanced attack in the matchup. Braelynn Brewington led the Pioneers with seven kills, while Hana Vucinic, Leilani Campbell, and Aurora Aho each added five.

Brenau (12-12, 9-7 AAC) posted a .177 hitting percentage compared to .089 for the Pioneers. The Tigers were led by Claire Beckman, who tallied 11 kills and a .688 hitting percentage. Teammate Ashlyn Browning contributed nine kills, while setter Nathalia Quintero recorded a double-double with 30 assists and 15 digs.

SMC's service game was a bright spot, as the Pioneers recorded nine aces—four of them by Aho. Brewington also led the front line with three blocks.

In the opening set, Brenau closed on a 5-0 run to erase a 20-17 SMC lead, capping the rally with back-to-back kills from Beckman. The Tigers followed with another late surge in the second set, scoring the final seven points to secure a second straight 25-22 win. In the third, SMC jumped out to a 6-4 lead before a 7-0 Brenau run put the hosts ahead for good. A 4-1 Pioneer spurt trimmed the deficit to 11-10, but a 5-1 Tiger response sealed the set and the match.

Next up for SMC is Senior Day on Saturday, November 8, when the Pioneers host Columbia College. The Koalas won the previous meeting in five sets on September 27 in Columbia.