CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — With a packed Powell Athletic Center of over 400 people on a Friday night, momentum was a key factor for the Campbellsville Lady Tigers coming out victorious over Bethel University in five sets
The Lady Tigers grabbed the momentum early and never looked back in the first set. Senior,
Kelly Moyer was the difference maker and started the Lady Tigers off on a 8-2 early first-set run. Bethel fought back to only being down a few points, but
Daiane Souza had a huge right hand that gave the Lady Tigers a 25-22 first-set win.
The second set was a different story, however. Campbellsville came out a little sluggish and Bethel gained the momentum early. Anagila Silva had seven kills and led the Lady Wildcats to the second set win, 25-21.
But the Lady Tigers answered and the momentum changed to their side again. Souza and
Rinata Aisena came up huge for the Lady Tigers as the team was building off the momentum and excitement they brought to the court. Souza ended the night with nine kills. Aisena had 11 kills and four digs to boot.
The third set was hard fought, and Campbellsville slipped by 26-24.
Bethel took charge in the fourth set; and ended up winning 25-16. Unforced errors were a big factor, especially in this set. The momentum would change when either team made an unforced error, and the Lady Tigers shot themselves in the foot way too many times in the four set.
The atmosphere tonight was definitely something that made a difference. Bethel had its small fan section that was mainly made up of its JV players. But Campbellsville had the rest of the bleachers filled. Many athletic teams came out to support the Lady Tigers in their season opener; there were sightings of the football, baseball, softball, soccer and cross county teams (just to name a few) that were providing support all evening.
The fifth and final set was a nail biter.
Before play started for the fifth set, head coach
Amy Zink tried to calm her players down.
"Play point for point," said Zink. "Do not let the moment get the best of us. Stay in control and stay calm. Be there for your teammates and pick them up when they are struggling."
Bethel definitely had the momentum going into the final set, after winning the previous set by a nine-point margin. But Campbellsville held on and showed their maturity and toughness. The Lady Tigers went up 2-0 and eventually the set was tied at 11. After two kills by
Jana Kortas, Bethel called two timeouts in a row and you could see the momentum was changing again to the Lady Tigers.
After a long volley back and fourth, Campbellsville got control of the ball and
Krista Mihelsone was there to finish off the Lady Wildcats. Her right arm sent the ball over the net into no-man's-land and gave the Lady Tigers a 15-13 win.
Game Highs for the Lady Tigers:
Kelly Moyer ended the night with 15 kills. Caitlin Dressing was fantastic on the defensive side and ended the night with 27 digs.
Jackie Schwieger ended the night with 32 assists.
The Lady Tigers come back to Powell Gym Wednesday, Sept. 3, where they open up Mid-South Conference play against the Lady Patriots from the University of the Cumberlands. The match is set for 7 p.m..
