GEORGETOWN, Ky. – In an intense and emotional showdown for the River States Conference Championship, the Campbellsville Tigers came up short, falling in five sets to Georgetown College. It was the third meeting between the two teams this season, and it lived up to the hype with high-level volleyball and dramatic momentum swings.
Campbellsville opened the first set strong, capitalizing on early Georgetown errors and building rhythm with a kill from Ayoube Hamadache and a pair of scores from Denzel Madrigal. A five-point run gave the Tigers a 13-9 lead, and a Pedro Zavatini kill pushed them to 15 first. Despite a late push from Georgetown, Campbellsville closed the set 25-22.
The second set was different, as Georgetown took early control and maintained momentum throughout. Campbellsville struggled to find offensive consistency, and despite efforts from John-Marcos Gonzalez, Georgetown exploited Tiger errors and ran away with the set 25-13.
Needing a bounce back in the third, Campbellsville found themselves in a seesaw battle. Hamadache notched a service ace, and Madrigal gave the Tigers a slight edge as they headed into the midway point. Tied at 21 late, Georgetown came through with a critical ace, and though Campbellsville fought, they dropped the set 25-23.
Facing elimination, Campbellsville responded with heart in the fourth. The set remained close until Gonzalez's back-to-back kills swung the momentum. Mason McKinney joined the attack with a key kill, and Hamadache closed the door with a mighty swing, giving Campbellsville a 25-23 win and forcing a decisive fifth set.
In the final frame, Georgetown struck first and jumped out to a five-point lead. Campbellsville battled back with kills from Gonzalez and Madrigal, eventually tying the set at 13. However, Georgetown's top scorer delivered back-to-back kills, sealing the 18-16 win and the conference title for the home team.
- Hamadache led the Tigers with 19 kills, followed closely by Madrigal with 16 and Gonzalez with 11.
- Libero Andrew Ovalle had a standout defensive performance, recording 25 digs and three assists.
