KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Campbellsville University used a balanced floor game to dispatch Grace College in three sets to win its opening match of the NCCAA Div. I Volleyball National Tournament, 25-20, 25-19 and 25-15.
"I'm really, really happy," said Coach Amy Eckenfels. "Our team movement, something we sometimes struggle with, was good. It was a great way to start the tournament."
The Lady Tigers (29-10) broke open a close first set when Laura DeGear's and Kelly Moyer's kills bumped CU to a 16-11 lead. Grace (23-16) would close to within two at 16-14, but successive kills by Rinata Aisena, Daiane Souza and Jana Kortas gave the Lady Tigers a 20-15 margin, that eventually led to a 25-20 first-set win on Haley Bechtel's service ace.
Audrey Sanders and Souza were big for the Tigers from the service line, accounting for 10 points between them.
In set two, Campbellsville trailed six times in the early going, but took control when Kortas' kill put CU up 14-13. The Lady Tigers went on a 6-1 run in the match, but stumbled a bit, allowing to tie the score at 17.
CU milked a service ace from the Lady Racers and then went up 23-18 on another DeGear swat. Souza was credited with set point on a 25-19 kill.
A close third set through the first 13 points was turned around by three Souza service aces and a kill by Moyer gave CU an 11-6 lead. CU was not challenged after that, going on runs of 8-5 and 6-2 to close the match out.
Souza led the team with 14 points on nine kills and her five services aces. She got ample kill support from Aisena, Moyer and DeGear with eight apiece and Kortas with six. Jackie Schwieger (14) and Kira Stewart (14) shared 28 of the team's 29 assists. Sanders and Bechtel had eight digs apiece while Moyer chipped in six.
Campbellsville plays again to day at 2:00 against Oakland City (Ind.) University.
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For complete coverage of CU in the NCCAA National Tournament, click here.
In addition to coverage of the NCCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament, CU Sports Information Assistant, and Lady Tiger travel companion, Richard RoBards, will keep fans updated with a behind-the-scenes diary.
