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By: Josh Fuller

Jefferson City, Tenn. –  The Columbus State University volleyball team returned to the court after a full week off and split a pair of matches on Saturday in Jefferson City, Tenn. The Lady Cougars defeated Queens in a thrilling 3-2 match before dropping a 3-0 decision to Carson-Newman. Both matches took place inside the Holt Fieldhouse.
 
Game One
 
The Lady Cougars rallied to win three of the final four sets to defeat Queens 3-2 (19-25, 25-19, 25-23, 23-25, 16-14).
 
Despite winning the first four points of the set, Queens (8-13) stormed back to take the first set 25-19 over the Lady Cougars. CSU held a 12-9 lead before the Royals won 11 of the next 14 points to go in front 21-15.
 
The Lady Cougars were able to pull within three (21-18) after a Payten Joy service ace, but Queens put the set away winning three of the final four points.
 
It was a back-and-forth affair early in the second set until the Lady Cougars won four straight points to take an early 8-6 lead. Megan Frame had an early kill while Joy recorded another ace.
 
CSU would extend its lead to five (18-13) after three straight points. Frame began the spurt with a kill followed by consecutive setting errors by Queens.
 
Queens was able to make it 23-19 before back-to-back kills by Andrea Skipor clinched the set for the Lady Cougars.
 
An early run was a key factor that allowed the Lady Cougars to take a crucial third set 25-23 over the Royals.
 
Down 3-1, Columbus State reeled off six straight points to go in front 7-3. After a kill by Kylie Beaubien that gave the Lady Cougars the serve, Cori Ehmen stepped beyond the end line to spark the run. Abby King and Skipor fueled the offense with two kills apiece during the run with Ehmen picking the assist up on all four offensive points. The junior also picked up a service ace.
 
Queens tied the match at 11-all thanks to three aces in a row before King slammed down a kill to break the run up.
 
Holding a 15-14 lead, the Lady Cougars stretched their advantage out to five (19-14) with Ehmen once again at the serve.
 
The Lady Cougars continued to roll going in front 24-18 before having to fend off a furious Queens run. The Royals won five straight to pull the score to 24-23, however, Joy ended the comeback hopes with a key kill.
 
Queens led the fourth set almost entirely before the Lady Cougars nearly pulled off a comeback of their own. After CSU scored the first point of the set, Queens raced out to a 7-3 lead. The lead kept growing and eventually hit seven (17-10) before Columbus State stormed back.
 
CSU won six of the next seven points to make it a two-point game at 18-16. Queens helped the Lady Cougars out with three attacking errors during the run while Frame and Ehmen contributed kills.
 
The Royals were able to make it 20-16, but the Lady Cougars kept coming back, winning five consecutive points to take a 21-20 lead. However, Queens held off the rally winning the final four points to force the fifth set.
 
In the deciding set, the Lady Cougars jumped out to an 8-2 lead and never looked back. Beaubien was a key factor in the run recording two kills and two aces.
 
Queens tried to rally, but was never able to take the lead. The Royals tied the match at 14-all before back-to-back kills from Joy and Frame gave the Lady Cougars the match.
 
Beaubien had a season-high 17 kills while hitting .652 to pace the Lady Cougar offense. King (13), Frame (12) and Joy (10) all had double-digit kill marks. The 10 kills by Joy was also a career-high for the freshman.
 
Ehmen finished the match with five kills, 52 assists and seven digs. Her 52 assists was a season-high.
 
Game Two
 
After playing  five close sets against Queens, the Lady Cougars (3-20) dropped a 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-12) decision to Carson-Newman.
 
In the first set, the two sides exchanged points early on before the Eagles ran off four straight points to take a 9-5 lead.
 
The lead would stay around the four mark until C-N increased it to seven (17-10) midway through the set. The Eagles were able to get to set point before the Lady Cougars were able to string together points. Down 24-14, CSU won three straight points until C-N got the set-winning kill by Maddie Borch.
 
The second set was similar to the first as the two sides kept the game close until Carson-Newman went on a 5-0 run to jump in front 11-5.
 
CSU was able to cut the deficit to three twice during the set, including at 20-17, but C-N again prevailed taking the second set 25-19.
 
The third set was all Carson-Newman after the Lady Cougars held an early 8-6 lead. C-N quickly erased CSU's lead with a four-point run. After the Lady Cougars got a kill from Savannah Miller, Carson-Newman won 10 of the next 12 points to put the match away.
 
Miller led the Lady Cougars with six kills. Ehmen recorded a double-double with 17 assists and 10 digs.
 
Columbus State will be back in action on Wednesday, Oct. 28 taking on Augusta at 7 p.m. inside the Lumpkin Center.