UPLAND, Ind. – Campbellsville battled top-tier competition on the opening day of the Amber McClure Fayerweather Memorial Tournament, dropping a five-set heartbreaker to #14 Mount Vernon Nazarene before falling to (RV) Taylor University.

• The Tigers showed resilience against MVNU, forcing a fifth set with a dominant fourth-set victory that was sparked by a massive 9-0 serving run from Claire Hammond.
• Brooke Hager was a consistent offensive force, leading the Tigers with 12 kills on a .435 hitting percentage against Mount Vernon Nazarene and another 10 kills on .333 hitting against Taylor.
• A massive 9-0 serving run by Claire Hammond, including three aces, sparked Campbellsville's fourth-set comeback against the Cougars.
• Libero Marisa Gallardo anchored the defense with a match-high 27 digs in the five-set marathon against Mount Vernon Nazarene.
• Campbellsville continues their stay in Indiana on Saturday, taking on the Huntington University (Ind.) at 9:30 a.m. ET and then the University of Pikeville at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Match 1: Campbellsville 2, #14 Mount Vernon Nazarene 3
In the opener, the Cougars struck first, but Brooke Hager answered with a kill before Campbellsville settled into the match. Midway through the first set, with the score tied 15-15, the Tigers' block came alive during a pivotal 6-0 serving run from Libby Erwin to build a 15-21 lead. Campbellsville sealed the 25-20 win on a Cougar service error.

Set two started with a block from Riley Thorne and Libby Erwin, but Mount Vernon quickly responded with a run of their own. Despite a service ace from Kati Vest that tied the score at 10 , the Cougars found holes in the Tiger defense and pulled away 25-14. In the third, Erwin opened with a kill , but serve receive errors late cost Campbellsville in a 25-18 loss.

With their backs against the wall in set four, the Tigers came out firing. Trailing 12-11, Claire Hammond ignited a massive 9-0 serving streak to even the match with a 25-20 win. The deciding fifth set was a battle from the start, tied at 8-8 before Mount Vernon created separation. Despite a late 3-0 rally, the Tigers fell 15-12.

Match 2: Campbellsville 0, (RV) Taylor University 3
In their second match of the day against Taylor, Campbellsville looked to get their middles involved early, highlighted by a Marisa Gallardo ace and strong swings from Hager. The set was tightly contested with the score tied at 15, but Taylor's blocking and a late run gave them a 25-23 edge.

In the second set, early kills from Hager kept it close, but the Tigers struggled with hitting errors while the Trojans' defense shut down their attack, resulting in a 25-11 loss. Set three started with Campbellsville striking first and a kill from Elif Akcivi halting a Taylor run, but the Trojans controlled the late points to win 25-19 and complete the sweep.