NEW ALBANY, Ind. — Campbellsville University used 14 team blocks and a seven-point fourth-set run to defeat Indiana University Southeast 26-24, 25-22, 25-27, 25-20 Tuesday at the IUS Activities Building, securing its fourth consecutive victory and improving to 23-8 overall.
- Campbellsville outhit IU Southeast.274-.172, committing 17 attack errors compared with the Grenadiers' 33. The Tigers prevailed despite trailing in kills, 56-49, and digs, 51-46.
- Brooke Hager led the net defense with seven blocks, including two solos, as Campbellsville outblocked IU Southeast 14-5. Sophie Hill contributed five blocks, while Riley Thorne added four.
- Elif Akcivi led Campbellsville with 13 kills, including six in the fourth set and the match-clinching termination. Libby Erwin and Thorne each added 11 kills to give the Tigers three double-digit attackers.
- Hill and Thorne combined for 20 kills with four errors on 34 attempts, hitting .471. Hill finished with nine kills on a .500 clip, while Thorne hit .444 in three sets.
- Kati Vest distributed 40 assists, averaging 10 per set, and added nine digs and three blocks. Marisa Gallardo led Campbellsville's floor defense with 12 digs and contributed four assists.
- Kaytlin Miller and Celestina Retumban each served three of Campbellsville's seven aces. Miller's fourth-set service rotation produced six consecutive points, turning a 16-17 deficit into a 22-17 advantage.
Campbellsville built a 24-20 lead in the opening set behind its block and two Retumban aces, but IU Southeast fought off four consecutive set points to draw even.
Hana Deticek stopped the rally with a kill before Erwin finished the 26-24 victory on an assist from Retumban. The Tigers recorded five blocks and held the Grenadiers to a .086 hitting percentage in the frame.
The Tigers continued to disrupt IU Southeast at the net in the second set, recording six blocks while improving their own hitting percentage to .360. Campbellsville established an 11-7 advantage and maintained the lead, though the Grenadiers pulled within 22-21 late. Erwin answered with a kill, Thorne followed with another, and Erwin supplied the set-ending termination for a 25-22 decision.
Campbellsville appeared positioned to complete the sweep after building a 19-12 lead in the third. IU Southeast steadily reduced the deficit, however, and denied the Tigers at set point before extending the match with a 27-25 victory. The Grenadiers recorded 17 kills and hit .314, their most efficient set of the night.
The fourth set featured another exchange of runs. Campbellsville overcame a 9-6 deficit to lead 15-12 before IU Southeast scored five consecutive points to move ahead 17-15. Akcivi ended the run with a kill, sending Miller to the service line for the decisive stretch.
Hill supplied two kills, and Akcivi added another as Campbellsville claimed seven straight points to take a 22-17 lead. After the Grenadiers narrowed the margin to 22-20, Akcivi delivered two kills around an IU Southeast attack error to complete the 25-20 victory. Campbellsville finished the set with 16 kills and a .387 hitting percentage, its best offensive frame of the match.
