KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Campbellsville University men's volleyball team concluded an unprecedented regular season with a 26-2 overall record and a 14-2 mark in conference play. Despite entering the postseason on a four-match winning streak, the Tigers slipped to a tie for #7 alongside Westcliff (Calif.) in the final NAIA Men's Volleyball Coaches' Top 15 Poll of the regular season.
The Tigers head into tournament play carrying massive momentum. Following a road loss to Oakland City in late March, Campbellsville responded with a vengeance, sweeping Midway and Rio Grande before pulling out a gritty five-set revenge victory over Cumberland. The Tigers then capped the regular season with a commanding road sweep of Georgetown College to officially lock up the River States Conference's #1 overall seed.
Statistically, Campbellsville remains an absolute juggernaut on the national stage. The Tigers boast 1,291 total kills (13.17 per set) and a highly efficient .298 team hitting percentage. The offense is masterfully distributed by
Alonzo Vega, whose 1,004 assists power a multi-pronged attack featuring four 200-kill pin hitters and middles:
Savvas Christou (248),
Ayoub Hamadache (246),
Pedro Zavatini (223), and
Denzel Madrigal (207).
Defensively, Campbellsville suffocates the opposition, limiting opponents to a mere .156 hitting percentage. The backcourt is anchored by libero
Andrew Ovalle, who has amassed 368 digs to average 4.13 per set, while Zavatini polices the net with a team-high 80 blocks.
At the top of the poll, Park (Mo.) overtook the #1 spot with an unblemished 29-0 record, capturing six first-place votes to dethrone The Master's (Calif.), who slipped to #2. Saint Xavier (Ill.) held steady at #3, while Mount Mercy (Iowa) and Missouri Valley flipped spots at #4 and #5, respectively. OUAZ (Ariz.) made the biggest leap of the week, surging five spots to #6 after upsetting The Master's in a five-set thriller.
The #7 Tigers have their eyes strictly set on a conference championship. As the #1 seed, Campbellsville will host the RSC Tournament semifinals on Friday, April 17, inside Gosser Gymnasium. They will take on the Cumberland Phoenix at 4 p.m. ET. Teams across the country will look to close out conference tournament play before the national championship field is officially announced on Tuesday, April 21, at 10 a.m. ET.
| TREND |
RANK |
LAST TIME |
INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] |
RECORD |
POINTS |
| ▲ |
1 |
2 |
 Park (Mo.) [6] |
29-0 |
100 |
| ▼ |
2 |
1 |
 The Master's (Calif.) |
20-1 |
94 |
| ● |
3 |
3 |
 Saint Xavier (Ill.) |
26-3 |
90 |
| ▲ |
4 |
5 |
 Mount Mercy (Iowa) |
22-3 |
82 |
| ▼ |
5 |
4 |
 Missouri Valley |
22-4 |
79 |
| ▲ |
6 |
11 |
 OUAZ (Ariz.) |
19-4 |
66 |
| ▼ |
7 |
6 |
 Campbellsville (Ky.) |
26-2 |
60 |
| ● |
7 |
7 |
 Westcliff (Calif.) |
16-4 |
60 |
| ▼ |
9 |
8 |
 St. Thomas (Fla.) |
21-4 |
52 |
| ▼ |
10 |
9 |
 William Penn (Iowa) |
18-7 |
49 |
| ▲ |
11 |
14 |
 Grand View (Iowa) |
14-8 |
48 |
| ▲ |
12 |
RV |
 Indiana Tech |
21-8 |
41 |
| ▼ |
13 |
12 |
 Lourdes (Ohio) |
21-5 |
37 |
| ● |
13 |
13 |
 Georgetown (Ky.) |
18-8 |
37 |
| ▼ |
15 |
10 |
 Bethel (Ind.) |
19-5 |
35 |
Dropped from Top 15: Reinhardt (Ga.)
Receiving Votes: Reinhardt (Ga.) 21, Lawrence Tech (Mich.) 14, Dordt (Iowa) 8, Oakland City (Ind.) 7, Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.) 3, Missouri Baptist 2
