GEORGETOWN, Ky. – In a conference battle of the Tigers, Campbellsville University took down #8 Georgetown College in a five-set thriller on the road, showcasing resilience and offensive firepower to secure a statement win.
Campbellsville came out strong in the first set, scoring the opening point off an attack from Ayoube Hamadache. However, Georgetown responded with a five-point run, prompting an early Campbellsville timeout at 10-11. The set remained tight, with a tie at 12 and Georgetown calling a timeout at 14-12 to halt Campbellsville's momentum. Late in the set, Denzel Madrigal delivered a clutch swing to push Campbellsville ahead by two, and John Marcos Gonzalez sealed the set with a decisive kill for a 25-22 victory.
Campbellsville carried its momentum into the second set, again taking the first point. The score remained close early, tied at 6, before Campbellsville surged ahead. Alonzo Vega was instrumental in the offensive push, helping his team build a seven-point lead. Georgetown called a timeout at 19-11, hoping to regroup, but Campbellsville remained dominant, hitting .312 for the set. With Gonzalez, Madrigal, and Hamadache leading the attack, the Tigers took the second set 25-19, putting themselves in prime position for the upset.
Determined to fight back, Georgetown came out swinging in the third set, but David Barcan quickly responded with a kill to keep Campbellsville in the battle. Madrigal followed with back-to-back kills, giving Campbellsville a slight edge. Both teams traded runs throughout the set, but Georgetown tied the score at 19. A pair of Georgetown kills forced a Campbellsville timeout, but the Tigers clawed back to tie it at 24. However, Georgetown closed it out, taking the set 26-24 in a back-and-forth battle featuring over ten lead changes.
Georgetown carried its momentum into the fourth, jumping to an early lead. Campbellsville fought to stay within two but struggled against a relentless Georgetown offense. A timeout at 10-6 attempted to shift the momentum, and an overpass kill from Madrigal brought Campbellsville within four, forcing a Georgetown timeout. However, Georgetown responded with another scoring run, extending their lead to seven and ultimately taking the set 25-18 to force a decisive fifth set.
Campbellsville wasted no time asserting itself in the final frame, using intelligent attacks to tool off the block and jump out to an early three-point lead. After several service errors from both sides, Pedro Zavatini and Hamadache developed a crucial block, helping Campbellsville reach the switch first at 8-6. Georgetown pushed back within two, but Mason McKinney delivered a massive kill in a critical moment. Campbellsville stayed composed, closing out the set 15-9 to secure a thrilling five-set victory.
The Tigers will return home this Saturday, March 22, at 3 p.m. ET to face Indiana University East.
- Hamadache paced the squad with 19 kills. Denzel Madrigal had a standout night too, recording 15 kills on 35 attempts.
- Andrew Ovalle anchored the defense with an impressive 23 digs.
- This win was the Tigers' third in the last ten match-ups with Georgetown, stretching back to February 2022.
