WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. – The Campbellsville women's volleyball team picked up a 3-1 win at University of the Cumberlands on Tuesday night to start the 2017 Mid-South Conference season and the Lady Tigers moved to 7-0 to match the best start in program history since 2008.
 
Annija Abolina recorded a match-high 24 kills for Campbellsville and she finished off her first double-double of the season with 14 digs. Abolina was two kills shy of her career-best in a four-set match – which she set last season against Brescia University. The most kills she has recorded in match came in a five-set contest at home against Cumberlands last season when she posted 30 kills for the Lady Tigers.
 
Maliyah Tela finished with a season-high 50 assists, while Jessie Pendleton recorded a match-high 30 digs and Olivia Jarvis chipped in with 11 kills and four blocks. Makenzie Koch led the Patriots (4-4, 0-1 MSC) with 17 kills, while Lynsey Short notched 42 assists.
 
In a tightly contested match, Campbellsville got off to a strong start and jumped out to an early 6-2 lead. The Patriots rattled off the next three points, but the Lady Tigers pulled away once again.
 
The two teams traded points with Campbellsville holding the lead over the first 34 rallies. Cumberlands battled all the back from four points down early in the opening stanza to take its first lead of the match at 18-17.
 
The Lady Tigers tried to rebound from their own four-point deficit using a 3-0 run to make it 23-22. However, the Patriots closed door on the Campbellsville rally and won, 25-22.
 
Another fast start in the second set helped the Lady Tigers tie the match at 1-1. Campbellsville scored the first three points of the set, but another Cumberlands rally gave the Patriots a 6-5 lead.
 
A back and fourth battle ensued in the second set with four lead changes and the score was tied 10 time throughout. Campbellsville finally found some breathing room with a 4-0 run to go ahead, 19-15.
 
The Lady Tigers stretched its lead to six points, which came at the end of the second set with Campbellsville winning, 25-19.
 
After trailing 3-2 early in the third set, Campbellsville went on an 8-2 run to take a 10-5 lead. The Patriots clawed their way back and hedged ahead, 14-13. Following a pair of lead changes, Cumberlands looked to regain a one-set lead in the match after taking a 23-21 lead late in the set, however, the Lady Tigers rattled off the final four points to win the third set, 25-23.
 
Cumberlands got off to the fast start in the fourth set as it jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the early going. Campbellsville rallied to tie the match at 11 and the Lady Tigers then took a 14-13 lead. The Patriots recovered from surrendering the lead and took a 21-17 advantage, but Campbellsville looked to make another late set comeback pulling within a point two times down the stretch and then it tied score at 24.
 
The Lady Tigers ended the fourth set on an 8-1 run to come from behind and win 26-24, en route to a 3-1 match victory. Julia Fonseca and Abolina sealed the victory with the team's eighth block of the night.
 
Campbellsville finished the match with a .183 hitting percent and it did not hit over .216 in a set throughout the night. This was the second time all season the Lady Tigers have been held to under a .200 attacking. The first came in Campbellsville's five-set win over Coastal Georgia in its last contest.
 
Cumberlands was a little more efficient on offense hitting .192 for the match and the Patriots recorded a match-best .275 attacking percentage in the first set.
 
The Lady Tigers return home on Thursday night to face Asbury University at 7 p.m. ET from Powell Athletic Center.

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