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By: Stephen Williams

GREENWOOD, S.C. – The Columbus State University volleyball team took a 3-1 (24-26, 25-17, 25-23, 25-23) loss on the road at Lander on Saturday. The Peach Belt Conference match was played at Horne Arena in Greenwood, S.C.
 
Megan Frame turned in a team-high 15 kills on the afternoon, while Kylie Beaubien chipped in 11 of her own. Abby King picked up a double-double with 13 kills and 13 digs, as did Cori Ehmen with 48 assists and a team-best 20 digs.
 
Beaubien started the match with back-to-back kills and Columbus State (4-22, 1-13 PBC) was off and running in the first set. The Lady Cougars held the lead until the Bearcats surged forward with a 6-1 run to lead 15-14.
 
CSU would battle back getting two straight kills from King to help move back in front, but still found itself down 23-20 late in the opening game.
 
Staring down a first set loss, the Lady Cougars ran off four straight points to take a 24-23 lead. Lander would tie the set at 24, but Frame and King would tally kills over the next two points to give CSU the early advantage.
 
Down 4-2 in the second, Columbus State scored six straight points, five behind the serve of Sabrina Rodgers. The rest of the set belonged to Lander (22-9, 10-5) as the Bearcats used an 18-7 extended run to pull away and even the match at one set apiece.
 
The third and fourth games were extremely tight as the two sides went back and forth. The third set saw 14 ties and Columbus State trailing 23-19 late. Frame picked up a kill to put the Lady Cougars back on serve, then added another three points later to cap off four straight for CSU to tie it at 23. Lander then took a timeout and regrouped, winning the next two points to take a 2-1 edge.
 
The fourth and final game played out in similar fashion. The last of 11 ties in the set came at 20-all after King registered yet another kill. The Bearcats picked up each of the next two points to edge out in front, but a Beaubien kill brought the Lady Cougars back within one.
 
The teams would trade the next four points leaving Lander with match point at 24-23. On the final point, CSU turned in an attacking error giving the Bearcats the four-set victory.
 
Columbus State will now return home for its final two home matches of the season. The Lady Cougars will open the last home weekend of the season against Armstrong State on Friday night at 7 p.m. inside the Lumpkin Center.