LEBANON, Tenn. – The Tigers fought hard against conference foe Cumberland Friday night, but couldn't put the finishing touches on the job losing in five sets.
In the first set of the game, the Phoenix dominated the match ending with a result of 25-19. Things would get interesting for the second set because, even though the Tigers would not get a favorable outcome, they reached Cumberland's intensity level finishing the set in extra points, but still falling 28-26. The bitter taste of dropping a set in extras is palpable, but that would deter Campbellsville who made it clear that they were there to compete.
The Tigers refused to give up. They returned with a counterattack in the third set, playing with renewed focus and determination. Their attacks were sharper, their defense more potent, and they managed to win the set, 25-20.
By the fourth frame, both teams battled fiercely for every point, making it an even more exciting spectacle. The Tigers landed 15 kills out of 26 attempts, which is an impressive hitting percentage of .462. That, along with limiting their errors to just three, sent Campbellsville into the fifth and deciding frame against Cumberland.
In the end though, the Phoenix managed to edge out the Tigers, winning the set by a score of 15-8. The Tigers fought for the entire game, even after going down 2-0, but it wasn't enough to get the win. For the match,
Reza Tahnasebi stood out with a remarkable 20.5 points, which he earned through 18 successful kills. Likewise,
Jakob Zum Kolk made a significant contribution by achieving 15 kills and making just a single error.
The Tigers look forward to facing Midway University at Gosser Gymnasium on March 21st at 6:00 p.m. ET.
