CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – A series that saw two five-set matches already this regular season got another at Gosser Gymnasium as the Campbellsville University women's volleyball team dropped their second-straight match to Shawnee State University.
 
The Lady Tigers led the match two sets to none after a pair of 25-23 set victories before the Bears earned 25-16 wins in set three and four before closing it out in the fifth set 15-8.
 
CU was playing with fire in the first two sets as they trailed 9-4 early in the first set and 10-5 in the second before eventually coming from behind to win each of those sets. Similar starts to the third and fourth sets didn't have the comebacks for the Lady Tigers to help SSU stay alive.
 
In the fifth set, Campbellsville actually did get out 3-1 then 4-2 lead in the set before the Bears rattled off five-straight points to never look back and trail in the set again.
 
The attack for the Lady Tigers struggled mightily in the match as they hit for a team percentage of .090 as only Stela Velinova hit for a percentage over .200 with over 10 attacks in the match. Velinova finished with six kills on 17 attacks for a .294 hitting percentage playing in the middle as she added a pair of block assists.
 
The block was a key stat but in favor of Shawnee State as the Bears finished with 14 blocks to just seven for CU. Middles Isabella Gill (1 solo, 7 assists) and Nashail Shelby (3 solo, 3 assists) along with outside hitter Alexis Palazzo (8 assists) led the charge on the block for SSU also with numerous blocks that Campbellsville kept alive that don't go in as block stats.
 
Macie Rhoads led all players in the match with 20 kills on the day as she also had 24 digs for a double-double on a .237 hitting percentage. Rhoads was backed up by 14 kills from Bethany Colling and nine kills from Palazzo.
 
Sonia Flendrich and Sophie Ball had double digit kills for the Lady Tigers with 12 and 10 respectively as Fledrich added 11 digs for a double-double and Ball was close, posting eight digs in the match.
 
Setter Paige Merrick had another double-double with 48 assists and 18 digs with libero Katie Morin leading all players in the match with 26 digs.
 
Up next for the Lady Tigers will be two-straight road matches at Life University on Monday followed by a trip to Martin Methodist College on Tuesday.