CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – On Tuesday night, our Campbellsville Tigers hosted the Indiana University Southeast Grenadiers. The Tigers won the match with straight sets, 3-0.
IU Southeast started the first set with the first kill of the game. However, Molly Shannon was quick to retaliate with a kill for the Tigers. Both teams remained one point away from one another until Campbellsville widened their lead after tying at five. The Grenadiers caught up to the Tigers, tying the scoreboard at 11, but Campbellsville did not fall too far behind. Brooke Hager's fierce kills put the Tigers back in the lead. Cierra Merrick closed the first set with a kill, earning a win for the Tigers, 25-23.
Morgan Furness set the second frame into motion with a kill assisted by Camryn Rich. IU Southeast was quick to match the score, but Campbellsville did not allow them to go up much further, with two back-to-back kills from Shannon propelling the Tigers forward. The Grenadiers took the lead, but Campbellsville remained only a couple of points behind. Sharp kills from the Tigers, such as Cierra Merrick, Furness, and Hager, reclaimed the lead for Campbellsville with a 10-point advantage over IU Southeast. With a kill from Hager and an attack error from the Grenadiers, the Tigers won the second set 25-15.
The third set began with two kills from Shannon and an attack error from IU Southeast, earning Campbellsville an early lead on the frame. Beyza Bektasoglu, Hager, and Shannon's steadfast kills quickly widened the Tiger's lead to a 15-point advantage, with Rich's control at the net preventing the Grenadiers from catching up on the scoreboard. Shannon closed the third frame with a sharp kill, winning the third set in Campbellsville's favor, 25-10.
Campbellsville finished the match with a hitting percentage of .221, nine aces, and 7.0 blocks, compared to IU Southeast's .067 hitting percentage, four aces, and 4.0 blocks. Shannon led the team with 17 kills, Taylor Thacker with 19 digs, and Rich with 36 assists.
The Tigers will be back in action, taking the road to Lebanon, Tennessee, to battle the Cumberland University Phoenix on October 26th, beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
