CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky – The Tigers took on the Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders on Thursday night for the second Battle of Highway 55. After a hard-fought game and five sets needed to determine the victor, the Blue Raiders bested the Tigers.
The Blue Raiders started the match with a service error. With each team sharing errors beginning the match, neither could find their flow. However, Erica Rosario Calderon found the hole in Lindsey Wilson's defense to give the Tigers momentum. Campbellsville pushed to a 3-0 run, but the Blue Raiders leveled the game shortly after. A late surge from Emily Aabye and a strong finish from Molly Shannon awarded the Tigers the first set, 25-23.
Lindsey Wilson opened the second set with back-to-back kills, but the Tigers answered with a 6-0 run. The Blue Raiders did not seem to go away, and the game was back at even with no more than one point being shared. In a back-and-forth set, the Blue Raiders' late push put them over the Tigers', stealing the second set, 25-23.
Beginning the third set, the Blue Raiders struck first, but a service error from Lindsey put the Tigers on the board. Cierra Merrick earned a kill for the Tigers, pushing the momentum in their favor. Campbellsville clawed their way to a 7-3 run, but a Blue Raiders' push put them back in the game. However, Aabye racked up multiple kills, and Brooke Hager ended the set in favor of the Tigers, 25-21.
Aabye and Shannon kicked the fourth set off strongly for the Tigers, collecting a kill and service ace. The Tigers and Blue Raiders were on an even playing field until the Blue Raiders began to pull away. Though the Tigers tried to claw their way through the deficit, Lindsey Wilson ultimately took the fourth set, 25-19.
Campbellsville opened the fifth set 3-0 with back-to-back kills from Calderon and an ace from Shannon. However, the Blue Raiders quickly answered with their own run. Ultimately, the Blue Raiders were too much for the Tigers, taking the final set, 15-11.
The Tigers will be back in action on Thursday, October 24th, hosting the Cumberland University Phoenix. The game is set to begin at 7 p.m. ET.
- Shannon paced the Tigers in kills with 18, Krstic had a game-high 50 assists, and Merrick led the Tigers in digs with 26.
- The Blue Raiders and Tigers were closely leveled throughout every statistical category. The Tigers bested Lindsey Wilson in solo blocks (6-1) and total digs (76-71).
- Tonight marked the 47th match the Tigers and Blue Raiders have faced off. Though the Tigers are on a three-game losing streak, Campbellsville still holds an 11-9 home record and a 20-17 overall conference record.
