KOKOMO, Ind. – Campbellsville split its final day at the IU Kokomo Invitational, falling in a five-set thriller to Indiana University East before bouncing back to sweep Madonna University.
- The Tigers battled IU East to the wire, with the deciding fifth set tied at 13-13 before the Red Wolves scored the final two points to clinch the match.
- Junior Angi Gstach had a career day in the win over Madonna, leading all players with a match-high 16 kills on an impressive .361 hitting percentage.
- The sweep of Madonna was a hard-fought battle, with every set being decided by three points or fewer (26-24, 25-22, 25-23).
- Campbellsville's front line was a force against IU East, recording 24 total blocks (4 solo, 20 assist), led by Sophie Hill with eight and Riley Thorne with six.
- Campbellsville returns home on Tuesday, September 9th, to face the Midway Eagles at 7 p.m. ET.
Match 1: Campbellsville 2, IU East 3
In the opening match, IU East struck first, but Campbellsville responded. Trailing 15-14, the Tigers went on a 6-0 run that included two aces from
Maddie Pennington to take control of the set.
Riley Thorne sealed the frame with a kill to win it 25-23.
The Red Wolves rallied in set two, spreading their offense to all pins and taking the set 25-21.
Set three became a battle at the net, with
Olivia Hellman and
Kati Vest each tallying aces, but IU East pulled away late to win 25-17.
Facing a loss, Campbellsville leaned on
Mya Leach and
Madison Farmer to spark momentum, using forceful swings to secure a 25-22 win and force a decisive fifth set. The Tigers battled to an 8-6 lead, highlighted by two big kills from
Angi Gstach, but IU East rallied late to close the match 15-13.
Match 2: Campbellsville 3, Madonna 0
In the day's second match, Campbellsville came out strong against Madonna. Gstach led the charge, while
Claire Hammond and
Kati Vest directed the 6-2 offense to help the Tigers edge out a 26-24 win after fighting off a Madonna set point.
In set two,
Madison Farmer's presence at the net fueled Campbellsville, and the Tigers secured a 25-22 victory on an attack error by the Crusaders.
The sweep was sealed in the third as Hammond scored on a dump,
Sophie Hill swung momentum with a block, and Gstach delivered the final point in a 25-23 win.
