HENDERSON, Tenn. – In a grueling five-set marathon, the Campbellsville University Tigers outlasted the Cumberland University Phoenix (25-22, 21-25, 25-23, 19-25, 15-12) as they head into the upcoming Mid-South Conference Tournament as the #3 seed.
- Dominating from the service line, the Tigers racked up 15 team aces.
- Olivia Hellman fueled the Tigers' service performance with a career-high six aces, including a crucial first-set run.
- With a match-high 17 kills, Emily Aabye powered the offense.
- Libero Maddie Pennington anchored the defense with 27 digs and three key fifth-set aces.
- Cumberland forced a fifth set, but the Tigers took an 8-4 lead. They then held off a late rally to win 15-12.
- With the regular season over, the Tigers await the Mid-South Conference Tournament bracket.
The Tigers were propelled by a phenomenal performance from the service line, led by
Olivia Hellman. In the first set, Hellman broke an 11-4 match wide open with a serving run that included four aces, pushing the lead to 23-17. Despite a late Cumberland rally that cut the lead to 23-22, a kill from
Elif Akcivi and a block by
Sophie Hill sealed the 25-22 win.
After the Phoenix battled back to take the second set 25-21, the Tigers edged out another tight frame. Tied at 15-15 in the third, Campbellsville pulled ahead late. A kill from
Emily Aabye brought up set point, and a final kill from Hill gave the Tigers a 25-23 win and a 2-1 match lead.
Cumberland answered by taking the fourth set 25-19, forcing a decisive fifth.
In the final set,
Maddie Pennington took over from the service line. She ignited a 5-0 run, including three consecutive aces, to give Campbellsville a 6-3 lead. The Tigers led 8-4 at the court switch. Cumberland fought back to make it 14-12, but a final block by
Riley Thorne sealed the 15-12 victory.
Emily Aabye led with 17 kills and
Angi Gstach added ten. Setter
Kati Vest contributed 39 assists and 14 digs.
Maddie Pennington anchored the defense with 27 digs. Hellman led the team in aces.
