CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Campbellsville University hit .320 and served 15 aces Monday to defeat Kentucky Christian University 25-11, 25-16, 25-11 at Gosser Gymnasium, improving to 19-8 overall.
- Campbellsville finished with a 41-18 advantage in kills and outhit Kentucky Christian .320-.023, recording at least 12 kills in each set. The Tigers held the Knights to a .000 hitting percentage in the final frame.
- The Tigers produced 15 service aces, led by four apiece from Olivia Hellman, Marisa Gallardo, and Kati Vest. Celestina Retumban added three aces as four Campbellsville servers recorded multiple winners.
- Sophie Hill delivered nine kills without an error on 10 attacks for a .900 hitting percentage, the best mark among players with multiple attempts. She added two block assists to finish with a match-high 10 points.
- Larkin Taylor supplied eight kills with one error on 12 swings, hitting .583 in two sets. Six of her kills came over the final two frames.
- Vest directed Campbellsville's offense with 30 assists, averaging 10 per set, while adding three errorless kills, 10 digs, four aces, and two block assists. The Tigers recorded 40 assists on their 41 kills.
- Gallardo anchored the floor defense with a match-high 14 digs and added three assists to her four aces. Campbellsville finished with a 45-41 edge in digs and allowed only two Kentucky Christian aces.
- Campbellsville received contributions throughout its lineup, with nine Tigers recording a kill and three reserves entering during the sweep. The Tigers' bench accounted for nine kills, led by Taylor's eight.
Kentucky Christian scored five of the first six points in the opening set before Campbellsville established its serve-and-block pressure. Gallardo began the response with an ace, while
Hana Deticek and
Brooke Hager combined on a block before Deticek tied the set at 5 with a kill.
The Knights moved back ahead 8-5, but the Tigers answered with 12 consecutive points behind Hellman's serve.
Libby Erwin contributed three kills during the run, Hager and Vest combined on two blocks, and Hellman served three aces as Campbellsville surged ahead 17-8.
Campbellsville closed the set by claiming eight of the final 11 rallies. Hill recorded two kills during the stretch, while Vest added two kills and assisted on three more before a Kentucky Christian attack error completed the 25-11 decision. The Tigers hit .394 with 15 kills and two errors in the frame.
Campbellsville scored eight of the first 10 points in the second set, receiving kills from Erwin and Taylor and an ace from Hellman. Kentucky Christian trimmed the margin to 9-8, but the Tigers regained separation with four straight points, including two Knights attack errors and another Erwin kill.
Vest then served three consecutive aces during a five-point run that pushed Campbellsville's advantage to 18-9. Taylor supplied three late kills, and
Elif Akcivi finished the set with her third termination of the frame for a 25-16 victory.
The Tigers took control immediately in the third. Hill opened the set with consecutive kills, and Retumban served two aces as Campbellsville built a 4-0 lead.
Gallardo later produced four aces during a 10-point service run that stretched the margin from 5-3 to 14-3. Akcivi, Taylor, and Deticek each added kills as Campbellsville maintained command.
Taylor recorded three more kills during the closing stretch, while Hill added her ninth of the match. Vest's fourth ace made it 23-8 before a Kentucky Christian service error, and Deticek's sixth kill completed the 25-11 set and the sweep.
Hill led Campbellsville with nine errorless kills, Taylor added eight kills on a .583 hitting percentage, and Akcivi finished with seven. Vest totaled 30 assists, 10 digs, and four aces, while Gallardo collected 14 digs and four aces as the Tigers secured their 19th victory of the season.
