CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — The #5 Campbellsville University men's volleyball team hosted the Indiana University East Red Wolves on Friday night to officially open conference play. With a clean 3-0 sweep (25-21, 25-19, 25-18) over IU East, the Tigers improved to 13-0, surpassing the 2020 squad to record the best undefeated start in program history.
- The #5 Campbellsville University men's volleyball team improved to a perfect 13-0 on the year, officially recording the best start to a season in program history.
- The Tigers opened conference play in dominant fashion with a 3-0 sweep over the visiting Indiana University East Red Wolves.
- Middle blocker Pedro Zavatini led a balanced offensive attack with a team-high eight kills on an efficient .385 hitting percentage.
- Setter Alonzo Vega orchestrated the offense effectively, dishing out 31 assists to keep the Red Wolves' defense guessing.
- The Campbellsville service line applied consistent pressure, tallying five aces compared to IU East's two, receiving one ace apiece from Vega, Luke Stracener, Andrew Ovalle, Savvas Christou, and Ayoube Hamadache.
- The Tigers outperformed the Red Wolves across all major categories, including hitting percentage (.259 to .159), assists (36-28), total blocks (8-3), and digs (31-25).
- Campbellsville will be back in action, traveling to Owensboro, Kentucky, to battle the Brescia University Bearcats on Tuesday, February 24.
Early in the first set, both teams struggled to establish a rhythm, resulting in short rallies and a back-and-forth side-out battle. Kills from
Fernando Rodriguez and
Denzel Madrigal eventually helped build a comfortable lead for Campbellsville. Although a few unforced attack errors by the Tigers allowed the Red Wolves to tighten the gap on the scoreboard late, the offensive pressure from
Ayoube Hamadache and
Savvas Christou at the pins kept Campbellsville ahead to take the opening frame, 25-21.
The second set began much like the first, with neither team able to grasp a significant early advantage. However, IU East began to rack up attacking errors, allowing Campbellsville to surge forward and build a five-point cushion. Zavatini, Hamadache, and Christou highlighted the offense throughout the frame, while the Tiger block stifled the Red Wolves, limiting them to a mere .083 hitting percentage in the set en route to a 25-19 victory.
IU East came out swinging in the third frame, grabbing an early 5-2 lead, but Campbellsville was determined to finish the night in straight sets. The Tigers battled back to tie the score, and the Red Wolves were never able to jump back in front to steal the momentum. The combined net presence of Stracener and Rodriguez kept IU East out of system and unable to catch up despite scoring a few sharp kills in transition. Libero
Andrew Ovalle, who anchored the defense with a match-high 14 digs, put an exclamation point on the record-breaking night by delivering a set-clinching service ace to secure the 25-18 win.
