WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Tigers continued their campaign in Florida, taking on the Olivet Nazarene Tigers and the Dakota State University Trojans. Campbellsville split the day, earning their first win of the season in the first match of the day and falling in five sets in the second.
GAME ONE: Campbellsville 3, Olivet Nazarene 0
Campbellsville was awarded the first point of the first set with the kill by Molly Shannon. The Tigers held a five-point lead through the majority of the set, taking a nine-point lead at their largest advantage. Campbellsville took down the opposing Tigers in set one, winning 25-16.
Shannon opened the set with a kill, starting the second set in the same fashion as the first. The Tigers continued with a high hitting percentage, hitting .476 compared to Olivet's .077. Campbellsville took a twelve-point lead to win the second set, 25-13.
Emily Aabye and Jana Krstic worked together to earn the first point of the third set. Campbellsville and Olivet kept the scoreboard within a point of each other, tying the set multiple times. Back-to-back kills from Cierra Merrick kept the Tigers alive, winning the third and final set in extra points, 27-25.
GAME TWO: Campbellsville 2, Dakota State
The Tigers were awarded their first point of the set with a kill by Zofia Serafinowska. Much like earlier in the day, Campbellsville led much of the set. The Trojans worked their way back late in the set, winning 25-23.
The Trojans started the second set with five unanswered points, taking an early lead. The Tigers worked their way back, tying the set and taking a three-point advantage. Unfortunately, Campbellsville fell in the second set, 25-23.
Campbellsville and Dakota State jockeyed to begin the third set, not letting either get too far ahead. The Tiger capitalized on their own kills and errors from the Trojans, taking the third set, 25-23.
Much like the third set, neither team was allowing the other to get the upper hand in the fourth. The Tigers collected the lead with a four-point margin. Campbellsville earned the final point of the set, winning 25-20.
The fifth and final set began with four points awarded to the Trojans. Campbellsville went on a 4-0 run to edge their way back into the contest. Dakota State answered with a 4-0 run of their own and ran away with the lead. Campbellsville dropped the fourth set, 15-12.
The Tigers will be back in action, Friday, August 23rd, to take on the University of Northwestern Ohio in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The match is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET.
- In the first game, Campbellsville led in many statistical categories. Most impressively, the Tigers' hitting percentage of .407 to their .122.
- Cierra Merrick led with 13 kills, followed by Aabye with ten kills, and Krstic with 36 assists.
- In the second game, Merrick and Shannon led with 16 kills each, followed by Aabye with 14 kills.
- The Tigers earned their first win of the season, improving on last year's defeats in Palm Beach, Florida.
