KINGSPORT, Tenn. -- On Wednesday at the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament inside Meadowview Marriott, the No. 5-seeded Reinhardt College volleyball team won its first match and lost its second before having its 2009 season end in a one-set playoff. Reinhardt defeated the eighth-seeded Virginia Intermont College Lady Cobras 3-0 (27-25, 26-24, 25-18), fell to the No. 2-seeded Bryan College Lady Lions 3-2 (25-16, 23-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-9) and then lost to the fourth-seeded Milligan College Lady Buffaloes 25-16 for the right to advance to Thursday's four-team, single-elimination bracket play.  

In the day's opener with Virginia Intermont, First Team All-AAC performer Sami Lane had 11 kills and 19 digs for the Lady Eagles while Tori O'Brien, a second team all-conference pick and member of the AAC All-Freshman Team, came up with nine kills, 10 digs and two service aces. Freshman Monica Kafka added 20 digs.

Against Bryan in a five-set match, Reinhardt was led by freshman Candace Turcotte, who recorded 12 kills with just one attack error. Lane collected nine kills and 21 digs while O'Brien produced nine kills, 10 digs and four total blocks. Kafka registered 37 digs while freshman SaVanna Strickland posted seven total blocks.

"It was a hard-fought match," Lady Eagles head coach Angela Monds said after the loss to the Lady Lions, who were AAC regular season co-champions. "I'm very proud of the team's performance."

The top three seeds and winners of each of the three pools - the Union College (Ky.) Lady Bulldogs, Bryan and the Montreat College Lady Cavaliers - each advanced to Thursday's Final Four with one spot yet to fill. Each of the second-place teams from the three pools were then involved in one-set playoffs. Reinhardt earned the top seed among the three and lost to Milligan after the Lady Buffaloes beat the No. 7-seeded Bluefield College Lady Rams.

"It was our ninth set of the day and it was tough," Monds said after the playoff with Milligan. "I am proud of the girls for being the top seed in the three-team playoff for the final spot in tomorrow's semifinals. We have had a fantastic season that has been blessed with talented student-athletes and a promising future."

The Lady Eagles conclude their 2009 campaign with a 12-19 overall record after finishing 9-7 in AAC regular season play, tying for fourth place. VIC ended 7-30 overall while the Lady Lions and Lady Buffaloes move on with 25-13 and 16-18 marks, respectively.