SYLVANIA, Ohio. - The #14 Tigers faced off against the University of Jamestown Jimmies in their season-opener at the Grey Wolf Invitational at Lordes University in Sylvania, Ohio. Newness seemed to play to Campbellsville's detriment as the team struggled to find their groove and they lost in four sets.
The Tigers opened the first set in roaring fashion, securing the first kill of the match. Both teams remained neck-and-neck, with the score tied at 14's. A serving run by Jamestown's libero posed challenges for the Tigers. However, team-veteran
John-Marcos Gonzalez stepped up for Campbellsville, and the new libero,
Andrew Ovalle, showcased back-to-back skilled digs to keep the Tigers in the set. Ultimately, the Tigers couldn't hold on to that momentum and lost the first set, 25-16.
In the second, Campbellsville began with the upper hand. However, then the Tigers struggled to find their rhythm and connect. A monster block by
Pedro Zavatini brought life back into the Tigers. Despite their efforts, Campbellsville struggled offensively as Jamestown held Campbellsville to a .044% hitting percentage in the second set. With Jamestown reaching 20 on the scoreboard, Campbellsville couldn't rally. The Tigers fell 25-18, seeking to develop their chemistry further in the third set.
The Tigers came out strong in the third set, with
Mason McKinney delivering a crucial stuffed block to tie the set at 4's. A serving run by
Andrew Ovalle helped push the score to 9-5, prompting a Jamestown timeout. Campbellsville's
Ian Gei contributed significantly, scoring off an overpass kill to make it 12-6, leading to another Jamestown timeout at 13-6. Key players such as Zavatini and
Diego Betancourt, who distributed the ball effectively to all hitters, played vital roles. Campbellsville retaliated and took the third set from Jamestown, winning 25-14.
As the fourth set started, the Tigers secured the first point of the set but Jamestown extended their lead to 7-3 quick. Back-to-back hitting errors by the Jimmies allowed Campbellsville to cut the score to just three at 12-9. However, Jamestown's blocking proved too dominant, out-blocking Campbellsville 18-13. Campbellsville fought well but couldn't overcome the Jimmies' strong defense, 25-13.
The Tigers will return to action tomorrow, facing (RV) Lourdes University at 1 p.m. ET and then (RV) Olivet Nazarene University at 5 p.m. ET.
- In his first game as a Tiger, #11 Ayoube Hamadache totaled 11 kills.
- #3 Diego Betancourt totaled 14 assists for the team-high while Andrew Ovalle amassed digs the most digs with 20.
- On the night, the Jimmies held the Tigers to a .123% hitting percentage, while Jamestown posted an impressive .351%. However, the third set showed what Campbellsville was capable of as the Tigers killed .391% of their attacks while holding the Jimmies to a flat zero.
