CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – Tuesday night, Campbellsville fell in their Mid-South Conference opener to the undefeated, #20 University of the Cumberlands Patriots in three sets (20-25, 20-25, 16-25).
- The first two sets were tight, back-and-forth battles, with both frames being decided by late scoring runs from the Patriots.
- Campbellsville showcased a balanced attack, with four players recording at least five kills, led by Emily Aabye with seven.
- The Tigers' attackers were efficient when utilized, with Elif Akcivi (.455), Sophie Hill (.400), and Brooke Hager (.308) all posting impressive hitting percentages.
- The Tigers will look to bounce back on the road next Tuesday against Georgetown College at 7 p.m. ET.
Campbellsville started strong in the first set, with
Sophie Hill making her presence felt early with two quick kills. The two teams traded points until the score was knotted at 17-17. The Patriots then responded with a pivotal 5-0 run to take a 22-17 lead before closing the set 25-20.
The second frame saw Campbellsville grab early momentum with a block from
Elif Akcivi and an ace from
Olivia Hellman to go up 4-2. The Patriots quickly tied it up and began leaning on their outside hitters. A kill from
Mya Leach and a block by
Sophie Hill kept the Tigers close, tying the score at 15-15, but the Cumberlands pulled away late to win another 25-20 decision.
In the third, early kills from Akcivi kept things even at 2-2. However, the Patriots turned to their middles to fuel a big run and surged ahead to finish the sweep 25-16.
