Dressed in pink, Campbellsville University let the first set slip away to Lindsey Wilson College on Monday, but battled their way back to a 3-1 victory on Dig Pink night in Powell Athletic Center. 



Dig is exactly what both teams did. Lindsey Wilson refused to let a ball hit the floor in the first two sets. The visiting Blue Raiders, wearing white jerseys with pink numbers, pulled out a 26-24 win in the first set and held the lead most of the second set, until Campbellsville rallied to tie the game, 22-22, on a shared block by Genevieve Collette and Samantha James.  After an attack error gave Campbellsville the lead, Shannon Cahill put the set away for the Lady Tigers with back-to-back kills.

Those two power kills seemed to not only even the match, 1-1, but swing momentum entirely in Campbellsville's favor. While Cahill's attacks put the set away, the Louisville, Ky., junior finished with only eight kills, ending a six-match streak of double-figure kills. Rising to the challenge offensively was Collette, who led CU with 12 kills and four blocks.

"I just told Carol (Martin) to keep going to Gen, because she was so solid for us tonight," CU head coach Amy Eckenfels said. "She has that edge to her I want everybody to have."

Cahill shined defensively, throwing herself all over the court to lead the match with 18 digs. She was the team leader in the first set with six digs and had seven in the fourth set to put the match away.

"Shannon played incredible defense, and didn't let anything past her. She played in the seams and filled the holes in our blocks, just like you're supposed to do. She was solid on the front line and back."

Martin collected 41 assists in the win, her eighth 40-assist match of the season and third in the last four matches. She also had 15 digs for her seventh consecutive double-double and 20th of the season. Audrey Sanders had nine digs and two aces.

While a Mid-South Conference volleyball match was the reason for the two teams to get together Monday night, the larger bond was wearing pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Eckenfels, who is in her first year as Lady Tiger head coach, said her team has reached its $1,000 fund-raising goal for the Side-Out Foundation's Dig Pink campaign. Side-Out was established in 2004 to unite volleyball players and coaches and to have them work toward the common goal of furthering breast cancer awareness, education and patient services.

"I had this in my mind since the get go," Eckenfels said. "It's a really good cause, and I'm glad I'm in a position at a school where we can make things like this happen."

The Dig Pink event is just one of many ways Campbellsville University student-athletes have been doing their part in the recent weeks to raise awareness for breast cancer. Throughout the month of October, the Fighting Tiger football team wore pink ribbons on the back of their helmets and the men's soccer team held a Pink Out on Oct. 21 against rival Georgetown College. The volleyball event, however, is the only one to go the next step and raise funds for the cause.

To still donate to the Lady Tigers' Dig Pink campaign, click here.

Campbellsville (22-6, 10-2 MSC) will travel to Georgetown College this weekend for the Boneyard Brawl tournament. The Lady Tigers will open the tournament Friday, Oct. 29 against Savannah College of Art and Design at noon and then will face No. 11 Taylor University at 6 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 30, Campbellsville will meet Indiana Wesleyan at 11 a.m. before facing No. 2 Lee University at 3 p.m.