OAKLAND CITY, Ind. — The #5 Campbellsville University men's volleyball team took on the Oakland City University Mighty Oaks at the Johnson Center on Saturday afternoon. Despite the Tigers' gritty performance and relentless late-set pushes, the Mighty Oaks handed Campbellsville its second loss of the season in a highly competitive three-set match (27-25, 25-23, 25-22).
- The Tigers fall to 22-2 overall and 10-2 in conference play following the defeat.
- The Campbellsville offense was paced by outside hitters Ayoube Hamadache and Savvas Christou, who each tallied a team-high 10 kills on the night.
- Junior setter Alonzo Vega distributed the ball effectively in a tough environment, finishing the match with 28 assists.
- Sophomore libero Andrew Ovalle anchored the backcourt defense for the Tigers, recording a match-high 14 digs to keep extended rallies alive.
- The Tigers will look to bounce back on their home court at Gosser Gymnasium on Friday, April 3rd, against Midway University.
The Tigers dominated the start of the first set with an aggressive offensive surge, taking an early 8-4 lead. However, the Mighty Oaks did not back down from the competition, battling back to tie the score at 15-15 and ignite a back-and-forth side-out battle. The Tigers continued to try to stretch a lead on Oakland City, eventually pushing the set into extra points. Despite Campbellsville earning a set point in their favor, a late surge by the Mighty Oaks enabled the hosts to secure the set-one victory, 27-25.
At the start of the second set, the Mighty Oaks continued their success, opening with a four-point run against the Tigers to take the early momentum. Outside hitter
Ayoube Hamadache sparked a response for the Tigers with a striking kill, creating an environment that got Campbellsville back into a groove. From this point on, both teams showed their grit on their respective sides of the net. Another terminal kill from Hamadache created a nail-biting 23-23 tie; however, the Mighty Oaks were able to capitalize down the stretch, taking set two 25-23.
The success of the Mighty Oaks flowed straight into the third set, as the Tigers quickly faced a 15-7 deficit due to a string of attacking and service errors. Facing a tough road environment, junior setter
Alonzo Vega looked to his trusted outsides to create noise for the Tigers. With their reliable pin hitting, the Tigers clawed their way back to a 19-19 tie, playing with a newfound urgency to force extra sets. However, the Mighty Oaks were able to quickly find their rhythm once again, overpowering the Tigers in the final moments to clinch the 25-22 set win and the match sweep.
