McKENZIE, Tenn. — Campbellsville University responded to a two-point second-set loss by winning the final two frames, including a dominant fourth, to defeat Bethel University 25-21, 24-26, 25-19, 25-12 in Mid-South Conference play Thursday at Crisp Arena.
- Campbellsville improved to 24-8 overall and 7-2 in conference play, completing the regular-season sweep of Bethel after also defeating the Wildcats in four sets Sept. 25.
- The Tigers steadily improved their offensive efficiency, progressing from.083 in the first set to .146, .258, and .462 over the final three frames. Campbellsville committed only two attack errors on 26 attempts in the fourth.
- Kati Vest delivered a complete performance with 39 assists, eight kills, eight digs, and two aces. She committed one attacking error on 13 swings to hit a match-best.538.
- Libby Erwin led Campbellsville with 13 kills and added 14 digs for a double-double. Elif Akcivi followed with 12 kills on a .250 hitting percentage, while Sophie Hill recorded nine kills on a .350 clip.
- Campbellsville controlled the net with 22 block assists, equivalent to 11 team blocks, while Bethel finished with four total blocks. Hill led the Tigers with seven block assists, and Riley Thorne added five.
- The Tigers held Bethel to 43 kills and a .084 hitting percentage, forcing 31 attack errors on 143 attempts. The Wildcats hit .067 or lower in three of the four sets.
- Marisa Gallardo anchored Campbellsville's floor defense with a team-high 16 digs, while Erwin added 14 and Celestina Retumban collected 11. The Tigers finished with a 65-53 advantage in digs.
Campbellsville gained its first separation in the opening set behind
Olivia Hellman's serve, turning a 3-4 deficit into a 6-4 advantage with a block, an ace, and a Vest kill. Bethel later used a six-point run to move ahead 12-10, but the Tigers quickly answered.
Erwin's kill tied the frame at 12 before Akcivi's service rotation helped Campbellsville produce five consecutive points. Hill and Erwin combined on two blocks during the run as the Tigers moved ahead 17-12.
Bethel reduced the margin to 22-20, but Hill stopped the rally with a kill. A Wildcats service error moved Campbellsville to set point before Thorne delivered the final termination in the 25-21 victory.
The Tigers led for much of a tightly contested second set, building advantages of 10-7 and 16-15 before Bethel moved ahead 21-19. Erwin supplied two kills as Campbellsville tied the frame at 22, and Akcivi later answered with a kill to make it 23-23.
Campbellsville fought off one set point on a Bethel attack error, but Emma Fistarol followed with consecutive kills to give the Wildcats a 26-24 decision and even the match. Bethel hit .182 with 15 kills in the frame, its strongest offensive set of the night.
The Tigers reestablished control in the third, using consecutive Erwin kills and a Hill-Thorne block to take a 3-1 lead. Campbellsville later broke away from a 9-8 margin with four straight points, including an Akcivi kill and another Hill-Thorne block.
Bethel worked within two at 18-16, but Erwin ended the Wildcats' run with a kill. Akcivi and Hill supplied two kills apiece during the closing stretch, and a Hager-Erwin block forced the final Bethel error in the 25-19 victory.
Campbellsville was at its sharpest in the fourth. Hellman served an ace and Erwin recorded two early kills as the Tigers built a 6-2 advantage, then Erwin's service rotation produced six consecutive points to extend the margin to 12-3.
Akcivi and Hager combined on one block during the surge before Hager and Vest teamed for another. Campbellsville continued to pull away behind its attack, with Vest, Akcivi, Erwin, Hager, and Hill contributing kills as the Tigers hit .462 in the 25-12 clincher.
Erwin led Campbellsville with 13 kills and 14 digs, Akcivi added 12 kills, and Hill finished with nine kills and seven block assists. Vest totaled 39 assists, eight kills, eight digs, and two aces.
