SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — The #5 Campbellsville University men's volleyball team hit the road on Friday to take on the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Pomeroys at the Jeanne Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center. Behind a dominant offensive performance from sophomore
Ayoube Hamadache, the Tigers secured a clean sweep over the Pomeroys (25-16, 25-23, 25-19) to advance to 22-1 on the season.
- Outside hitter Ayoube Hamadache delivered a dominant performance, putting down a match-high 15 kills on a blistering .556 hitting percentage.
- Setter Alonzo Vega masterfully directed the offense, dishing out a match-high 32 assists to guide the Tigers to an efficient .292 team hitting clip.
- Junior middle blocker Pedro Zavatini anchored the defense at the net with four total blocks (two solo, two assisted) while also adding five kills.
- Sophomore libero Andrew Ovalle continued his strong defensive play in the backcourt, picking up a match-high 15 digs.
- The Tigers will return to action tomorrow, Saturday, March 28th, traveling to take on Oakland City University.
With the start of the opening frame, dominance on the offensive side of the net was immediately established by Hamadache, who had a hand in the first four points scored by the Tigers. From then on, Campbellsville carried the momentum through the set and kept the Pomeroys at a comfortable distance on the scoreboard. No matter how the Pomeroys tried to slow down the Tigers, it was not enough as Campbellsville fired from all areas of the court. The set was brought to a striking end by the powerful swing of senior opposite
Denzel Madrigal, securing a 25-16 set-one victory.
Despite the first-set defeat, the Pomeroys came out in the second frame ready to battle, creating a highly competitive environment. The set remained a point-for-point affair until a clutch kill from freshman outside hitter
Savvas Christou on the left pin ignited a late Tigers run to create some breathing room. The Pomeroys refused to back down, tightening the score in the final moments, but junior middle blocker
Pedro Zavatini put a pounding end to the comeback threat with a terminal kill out of the middle, sealing the close set 25-23 in favor of the Tigers.
The beginning of the third set saw fight from both sides, with the Tigers looking for the sweep and the opposing Pomeroys pressuring to force extra sets. Junior setter
Alonzo Vega created visible frustration for the Pomeroys with how flawlessly he ran the Campbellsville offense. The Tigers' success continued behind the service line of Christou, stretching out to a commanding 23-14 lead that gave Saint Mary-of-the-Woods little room to recover. Despite a last-ditch effort by the Pomeroys to stay alive, Hamadache stamped his final check on the match with a well-deserved terminal kill, handing the Tigers the straight-set sweep with a 25-19 victory.
