CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – A young Campbellsville University volleyball squad dropped its season opener in three sets (25-20, 25-19, 25-22) to Bethel University Saturday in Powell Athletic Center.

The Lady Tigers started three freshmen and played seven first-year players in the match.

Bethel used short bursts of scoring early in the first two sets to take the lead and maintained it throughout the sets. The Wildcats led by as many as eight points, 21-13, in the second set.

Campbellsville controlled the lead through most of the first set, but Bethel took advantage of a Jackie Schwieger service error to start an eight-point run to go up, 16-12. Clara McDowell served seven of the Wildcats' points in the run. The Lady Tigers took advantage of Bethel errors to pull close, and Schwieger evened the score, 21-21, with one of her four kills in the match.

Bethel's Vera Popvic helped close the match with a kill on three of the final four points. She led all players with 11 kills, followed by 10 kills from Eloisa Sales. Cheyanne Kyle stepped in to play Libero for the Wildcats, collecting 16 digs, followed by 14 from McDowell and 11 from Sales.

CU was led by freshmen Stephanie Lambert and Brooklyn Bowling with six and five kills, respectively. Senior Aleksandra Popovic had a CU career-high four kills in her first start for CU. Jana Kortas joined Schweiger with four kills. Schweiger led CU with 16 assists and also had 11 digs. Freshman Libero Marcella Compeau led the Lady Tigers' defense with 12 digs.

Campbellsville (0-1) will travel to Circleville, Ohio on Tuesday, Aug. 26 for a trimatch against Bethel University (Va.) and Ohio Christian University, beginning at 5:30 p.m. EDT.