Montreat, North Carolina – Shawnee State volleyball split the final two games of the Volley in the Mountains Classic on Saturday afternoon. The Bears fell to #17 Jamestown (ND) 3-0 in their first game of the afternoon before rebounding to sweep the hosts Montreat (NC) 3-0 in game two.

Jamestown showed their preseason top 25 class in game one as Shawnee State struggled to halt the U of J attack. SSU would fall in the first set 25-15, followed by the same score in set two. The Bears were better in the third set but were still dispatched by Jamestown, 25-18.

Christina Shelton (SR/Blue Creek, Ohio) led Shawnee State with 11 kills in game one. Emily McKibben (FR/Williamsburg, Ohio) added eight for SSU, while Deanna Smith (SR/Riverview, MI) had 25 assists. Brianna Wiget (SR/Piketon, Ohio) led the Bears with 11 digs, and Stacia Martin (SR/Indianapolis, Indiana) added 10.

SSU would rebound in game two, defeating the hosts Montreat 3-0. The Bears would battle with the Cavaliers in the first two sets, narrowly winning 25-21 and 25-23. Shawnee State would pick it up in the third set, dominating the hosts by hitting .419 in the set to win the match with a 25-16 score.

Tyanna Smith (JR/Bowling Green, Ohio) had an outstanding match, notching a team-high 12 kills and having a .474 hitting percentage, best on the team. Carson Roney (SO/Waverly, Ohio) added 11 kills, Shelton had seven, and McKibben had six. Deanna Smith had 38 assists and 11 digs, with Wiget getting a team-high 16 digs.

The split moves Shawnee State's record to 3-1 on the year, a one-game improvement over 2016.

Shawnee State volleyball will get a week off before heading to the Emileigh Cooper Memorial Tournament, hosted by the University of Rio Grande.