CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Campbellsville University used 39 kills, 13 team blocks and 11 service aces to earn a 25-19, 26-24, 25-19 Mid-South Conference sweep of Georgetown College Tuesday night at Gosser Gymnasium, improving to 21-8 overall and 6-2 in conference play.
- Campbellsville controlled the match defensively, holding Georgetown to 22 kills and a .069 hitting percentage while recording 26 block assists (13 team blocks). The Tigers limited the visitors to a hitting percentage of .103 or lower in all three sets.
- The Tigers generated pressure from the service line with 11 aces, matching Georgetown's total reception errors. Libby Erwin and Marisa Gallardo led the way with four aces apiece.
- Brooke Hager delivered one of her most efficient performances of the season, posting eight kills on 13 swings for a .538 hitting percentage while adding six block assists and an ace.
- Libby Erwin and Elif Akcivi shared match-high honors with eight and nine kills, respectively. Erwin added four aces and three block assists, while Akcivi contributed a block assist and nine points.
- Kati Vest orchestrated the offense with 32 assists, helping Campbellsville post a .214 team hitting percentage. She also contributed six digs and five block assists.
- Campbellsville's defense was anchored by 10 digs from Marisa Gallardo and nine from Celestina Retumban, while Georgetown managed just 41 digs as a team.
- The Tigers overcame a challenging second set after trailing by as many as five points, using a 9-3 run and clutch play late to secure a pivotal 26-24 victory before completing the sweep.
Campbellsville and Georgetown traded points throughout the opening set before the Tigers seized control midway through the frame.
Trailing 11-8, Campbellsville used its block to spark a turnaround. Consecutive rejections by
Riley Thorne and
Sophie Hill narrowed the deficit before Erwin and Hill combined on another block to tie the score at 13. From there, the Tigers outscored Georgetown 12-6 to close the set.
An Erwin ace highlighted a four-point run that gave Campbellsville an 18-15 advantage, while kills from Hager, Akcivi and Erwin pushed the margin to 24-17. Hill ended the frame with a kill as the Tigers took the opener 25-19.
Georgetown appeared poised to even the match in the second set.
The Tigers fell behind 8-3 and later trailed 15-12 before turning to their block and service pressure to climb back into the frame. Hill and Akcivi combined on a block, followed by consecutive team blocks involving Vest, Hill and Hager, helping Campbellsville erase the deficit and tie the set at 15.
The teams remained locked in a back-and-forth battle down the stretch. Georgetown held advantages at 22-20 and 24-23, but Hager answered with a kill to tie the set before Akcivi delivered consecutive points. A Georgetown attack error eventually completed Campbellsville's 26-24 comeback victory and gave the home side a 2-0 match lead.
The Tigers carried that momentum into the third.
After Georgetown grabbed a 5-2 lead, Campbellsville responded with a 10-4 run fueled by two Erwin aces, a Hager kill and an ace from Gallardo. Hager added another termination to extend the lead to 17-14 before the Tigers gradually pulled away.
Back-to-back blocks from Hager and Vest pushed the advantage to 20-16, while Hill added a kill and Hager contributed an ace during the closing stretch. After Hill secured match point, Retumban delivered the final ace of the evening to complete the 25-19 set and seal the conference sweep.
Akcivi led Campbellsville with nine kills, while Erwin and Hager added eight apiece. Vest finished with 32 assists, Gallardo recorded 10 digs and four aces, and the Tigers totaled 13 team blocks while winning their second meeting with Georgetown this season.
