OWENSBORO, Ky. — The #9 Campbellsville University men's volleyball team capped off a perfect weekend on Saturday, taking down Judson University and Calumet College of St. Joseph to improve to 10-0 on the season.
- With a pair of victories on Saturday, the #9 Campbellsville University men's volleyball team extended its unbeaten start to the season to 10-0.
- This marks the second-best start in program history, trailing only the 12-0 start by the 2020 squad.
- Middle blocker Pedro Zavatini was efficient in the middle, tallying 9 kills on a .500 hitting percentage against Judson.
- The Tiger defense stifled Calumet College of St. Joseph in the nightcap, holding the Crimson Wave to a -.108 hitting percentage.
- Opposite Luke Stracener paced the offense in the second match, putting down 8 kills on a .333 clip.
- Campbellsville returns home next week to host the Campbellsville Invitational, beginning Friday, February 13th, against Bethel University.
The Tigers opened the day with a gritty four-set victory over Judson (25-18, 25-17, 20-25, 25-23) before dominating Calumet in a 3-0 sweep (25-6, 25-11, 25-14) to close out the day.
GAME ONE: Campbellsville 3, Judson 1
In the opener, Campbellsville battled through a tough test from the Eagles (4-6), relying on a balanced attack to secure the win.
The first set was a back-and-forth affair early, with the Tigers holding a slim 15-13 lead midway through. A kill by
Ayoube Hamadache sparked a 4-0 run that gave Campbellsville breathing room.
Pedro Zavatini and
Denzel Madrigal added late kills to help the Tigers pull away for a 25-18 win.
Campbellsville carried that momentum into the second frame. With the score tied at 8-8, the Tigers capitalized on Judson errors to go on a 5-1 run. Madrigal and Hamadache continued to find the floor, and a block by Zavatini and
Camilo Fernandez sealed the 25-17 victory and a 2-0 match lead.
The Eagles refused to go quietly, responding in the third set. Judson's defense tightened, limiting the Tigers to a .097 hitting percentage in the frame. Despite a late push, Campbellsville could not overcome the early deficit, dropping the set 20-25.
The fourth set was a thriller, featuring 10 ties and four lead changes. Trailing 19-20 late, the Tigers showed their composure. A service error by Judson tied the match, and back-to-back kills from Madrigal and Hamadache gave CU the lead for good. Hamadache finished things off with a final kill to secure the 25-23 win and the match.
Zavatini led the way with 9 kills and 5 blocks, while
Alonzo Vega dished out 29 assists.
GAME TWO: Campbellsville 3, Calumet 0
The nightcap was all Tigers, as Campbellsville overwhelmed the Crimson Wave (0-9) in a comprehensive sweep.
The Tigers set the tone immediately in the first set, racing out to a 10-2 lead behind the serving of
Eduardo Viera. Campbellsville's offense was firing on all cylinders, hitting .421 in the match while holding Calumet to just three kills in the opening frame. The Tigers cruised to a 25-6 win, their most dominant set victory of the season.
It was more of the same in the second, as Campbellsville jumped out to an 8-2 advantage.
Luke Stracener and
Lazar Spasovski anchored the attack, while the defense forced Calumet into negative hitting numbers. A late run pushed the lead to double digits, and the Tigers took the set 25-11.
In the third, Calumet briefly held a 4-3 lead, but it was short-lived.
Fernando Rodriguez provided a spark off the bench, and consecutive aces from Viera helped the Tigers regain control. Campbellsville closed the match on a 5-1 run to complete the sweep with a 25-14 victory.
Stracener led the offense with 8 kills, while Viera handed out 12 assists and tallied 5 aces.
