BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- The #2 seed Tigers battled the #3 seed Cumberland University Phoenix in the Mid-South Conference Tournament Semifinal. After an avid five-set battle, Campbellsville took the win over Cumberland, 3-2.
Although the game began with both teams close to one another on the scoreboard, the Phoenix strongly benefited from the Tigers' errors to expand their lead. Cumberland quickly reached double digits while Campbellsville struggled to catch up. JoVeaun Banks and Trevor Gruner attempted to retaliate with back-to-back kills; however, it was not enough to deter the Phoenix from taking the set. The Tigers lost the first frame, 25-14.
Much like the first, in the opening of the second set, both teams remained only a point within the other. Both continuously tied the score, unable to expand their lead for long. Denzel Madrigal's ferocious kills propelled Campbellsville forward and opened the gap on the scoreboard to increase their advantage. The Phoenix struggled to gain control at the net, unable to block the Tigers' kills. Cumberland's attack errors closed the second frame with Campbellsville on the win, 25-14.
As the third set came around, neither team seemed to be able to grab a firm hold of the lead. With every kill scored by one team, the other swiftly retaliated to match the score. Gruner and Madrigal's kills were continuously counteracted by the Phoenix. As the scoreboard reached 25, neither team was able to expand the advantage to close the frame. Cumberland boosted their blocks, leaving the Tigers trailing by a couple of points and finishing the frame with a loss for the Tigers, 31-29.
The Phoenix earned the first couple of points in the fourth set; however, Campbellsville did not falter at the sight of dispute. John-Marcos Gonzalez and Joao Tavares landed kill after kill, bringing the Tigers to double digits, while Cumberland could not make it past five. The Phoenix collected a few points in their favor due to Campbellsville's errors, but they were yet to reach double digits as the Tigers clawed their way up to 20. Banks and Gonzalez's kills closed the fourth frame with Campbellsville ahead by 17 points, 25-8.
From the early stages of the final set, the tension on the court was palpable, with both teams aiming to move on to the next round of competition. However, Cumberland's errors remained their demise, unable to move on from their first couple of points earned as the Tigers continued to expand their advantage. The Phoenix did not trail too far behind, coming within a couple of points from stealing the upper hand. However, Alonzo Vega's assists provided Gruner with the opportunity to score the winning kill, taking the final set 15-13.
Campbellsville surpassed Cumberland in multiple statistical factors of the match: kills (57-47), hitting percentage (.296-.230), assists (55-44), and digs (39-29). Madrigal led the Tigers with 17 kills, Andres Laboy with 12 digs, and Vega with 44 assists.
The Tigers will return to the court tomorrow, Saturday, April 20th, in the Mid-South Conference Tournament championship match, taking on Georgetown College in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The match is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. ET.
