CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — The (RV) Tigers hosted the (RV) Reinhardt University Eagles in their last regular season game of the year. Although Campbellsville remained only a few points away from Reinhardt in the last two sets, they closed their season with a defeat, 3-0.
The Tigers began the first set trailing the Eagles, as their attack errors set them back by a few points in the opening of the first set. JoVeaun Banks put Campbellsville on the scoreboard with an avid kill assisted by Aleksa Plevaljcic. Mason McKinney followed in Banks' footsteps with another kill. John-Marcos Gonzalez and Denzel Madrigal boosted their attacks, landing kill after kill in Campbellsville's favor. Reinhardt reached double digits as the Tigers struggled to rack up enough points to decrease their deficit. Campbellsville lost the first set, 25-16.
Although the Eagles quickly benefitted from a service error by the Tigers in the opening of the second set, Gonzalez swiftly tied the score with a kill. Trevor Gruner and Alvaro Grande's control at the net blocked Reinhardt's attempts to expand their advantage. Both teams tied the score time after time, unable to grasp the upper hand long enough to claw their way up to the lead. The Eagles got ahead by a few points, benefiting off Campbellsville's errors. However, much to Reinhardt's demise, errors of their own tied the score at 23. The Tigers were unable to steal the set, losing 25-23.
The Eagles were first on the scoreboard to begin the third set. Madrigal swiftly scored for Campbellsville assisted by Plevaljcic. Alonzo Vega's agile assists kept his fellow Tigers scoring kill after kill to propel the Tigers upward on the scoreboard. Gruner and Madrigal only increased their attacks against Reinhardt as the third frame unfolded. As both teams surpassed 25 points in the score, the tension on the court was palpable with every kill continuously tying the score back and forth, as the Tigers fought for another set. Despite Campbellsville's efforts, the Eagles won with straight sets, 3-0.
Madrigal led the Tigers with ten kills, Andres Laboy with 11 digs, and Vega with 15 assists.
