OWENSBORO, Ky. – Campbellsville University hit the road to take on Brescia University and returned home with a four-set victory on Tuesday, showcasing dominant stretches of play despite a second-set stumble.
The Tigers wasted no time establishing control in the first, as Guthrie Hite jump-started the offense and led Campbellsville on a service receive run that forced Brescia to call an early timeout at 9-2. With their rhythm clicking, the Tigers exposed gaps in the Bearcats' defense. Andrew Ovalle delivered back-to-back aces, and Campbellsville's offense fired on all cylinders, hitting an impressive .526 in the set. The Tigers cruised to a commanding 25-9 victory to open the match.
Brescia responded in the second set, coming out strong with a 6-0 run that put Campbellsville on its heels. David Barcan put the Tigers on the board with their first point, but offensive struggles plagued them throughout the set. John Marcos Gonzalez notched two kills to cut the deficit to five, but the Tigers couldn't fully recover. As Brescia reached 20 points, they remained in control, closing the set 25-20 to even the match.
Determined to bounce back, Campbellsville found its groove in the third set. After the Bearcats struck first, the Tigers answered with kills from Mason McKinney and Ayoube Hamadache. Holding a three-point lead, Campbellsville continued to build momentum behind a Gonzalez kill and a Denzel Madrigal ace. The Tigers extended their lead to seven, forcing Brescia into a timeout. With their rhythm restored, Campbellsville sealed the set with a 25-17 win.
Looking to put the match away, the Tigers came out firing in the fourth set with two kills and an ace from Hamadache and Madrigal. A kill from Pedro Zavatini pushed Campbellsville ahead by four, and McKinney capitalized on an overpass with a mighty swing for another kill. As the Tigers reached 20 points, Brescia called a timeout to slow them down, but Campbellsville stayed aggressive and closed out the match with a 25-20 victory.
Campbellsville returns home on Friday, April 4, at 7 p.m. ET to take on Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in another River States Conference showdown.
- Campbellsville recorded 15 blocks on the night, led by McKinney (five), Zavatini (four), and Alonzo Vega (four). That number is their highest as a team this season.
- Hamadache dominated offensively with 24 kills (season-high), one ace, and four digs.
