MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The (RV) Campbellsville Tigers opened their Miami road trip with a split, falling in a grueling five-set battle against (RV) St. Thomas before securing a four-set victory over Governors State.
GAME ONE: Campbellsville 2, St. Thomas 3
The Tigers came out strong in their first match against St. Thomas, with
Pedro Zavatini setting the tone early with a powerful kill. Campbellsville's offense fired on all cylinders as Zavatini and
Ayoube Hamadache combined for six early kills. Despite a timeout from St. Thomas at 15-10, the Bobcats clawed their way back, closing the gap to just two points. The back-and-forth battle continued, and Campbellsville found itself down by one late in the set, prompting a timeout. The Tigers held their ground, finishing strong to take the set 25-23.
Set two saw both teams trading points early, but Campbellsville found its rhythm. Aggressive serving kept the Bobcats under pressure, and John Marcos Gonzalez emerged as a key contributor. The Tigers extended their lead to three, forcing a Bobcats timeout, and maintained control to close the set 25-21.
With a 2-0 lead, Campbellsville aimed for the sweep, but St. Thomas came out firing in set three. The Tigers rebounded to tie the score at 6, then again at 10 and 17, but the Bobcats' offensive push proved too much. Campbellsville called a timeout at 18-20 but couldn't regain momentum, dropping the set 25-20.
Determined to close it out in four, the Tigers struck first, but St. Thomas responded with a five-point surge. The Bobcats extended their lead to nine, while Campbellsville struggled offensively, hitting just .085 in the set. The Tigers fell 25-10, forcing a decisive fifth set.
In the final frame, St. Thomas struck first and never let up. Campbellsville found itself trailing by five early and struggled to close the gap. The Bobcats controlled the momentum and sealed the match with a 15-6 victory.
GAME TWO: Campbellsville 3, Governors State 2
In their second match of the day, Campbellsville bounced back with a dominant performance against Governors State. The Tigers took early control, building a four-point lead and forcing an early Jaguars timeout. Their offensive firepower was fully displayed as they cruised to a 25-14 first-set win.
Alonzo Vega kicked off set two with an ace, but Governors State responded with a strong push, tying the score and forcing Campbellsville into a timeout at 16-10. The Jaguars capitalized on Tiger errors and took the set 25-20.
Set three was a tight battle, featuring six lead changes before the score hit 10. Campbellsville gained an edge with a massive swing from Gonzalez, followed by a four-point run that created some separation. The Tigers used their offensive strength to hit .360 in the set and pulled out a 25-22 win.
Determined to close the match, Campbellsville jumped to an early lead in set four, fueled by the Jaguars' hitting errors. Hamandache sparked the offense with back-to-back kills, while Gonzalez added a service ace and a kill to extend the lead. Governors State called a timeout at 12-19, but the Tigers were unstoppable, sealing the match with a dominant 25-13 fourth-set win.
Campbellsville will be back in action tomorrow morning, taking on Viberto University at 9 a.m. ET in Miami Gardens, Florida.
- Pedro Zavatini had a record day, tallying six kills in the first match and an impressive 13 in the second.
- Denzel Madrigal (18), Ayoube Hamadache (23), and John Marcos Gonzalez (17) delivered standout performances, helping power the Tigers throughout the day.
