CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — In their postseason clash, the top-seeded Campbellsville University men's volleyball team survived a five-set thriller against the #5-seeded Cumberland University Phoenix on Friday afternoon in the River States Conference Tournament Semifinals. Fighting off match point in the decisive fifth frame, the Tigers completed a miraculous 4-0 scoring run to steal the 16-14 set victory and clinch their spot in the championship game.
- Outside hitter Savvas Christou delivered a big performance, putting down a team-high 24 kills on a .408 hitting percentage, including three clutch kills down the stretch to erase a Cumberland match point in the fifth set.
- Ayoub Hamadache was a relentless offensive force, registering 21 kills on a .333 hitting percentage.
- Setter Alonzo Vega orchestrated the Tigers' high-powered offense with 60 assists, flawlessly distributing the ball during the match's most critical moments.
- Andrew Ovalle anchored the backcourt defense, scooping up a match-high 25 digs to extend rallies against Cumberland's heavy hitters.
- Campbellsville will play for the RSC Tournament Championship on Saturday, April 18, at 2 p.m. ET against the #3-seeded Oakland City Mighty Oaks inside Gosser Gymnasium.
The opening set immediately set the tone for a back-and-forth battle. The frame devolved into a gritty side-out affair, with both teams trading heavy swings at the pins. Knotted deep into extra points at 24-24, the Tigers found the late edge. Hamadache and Christou delivered timely offensive pressure, and a final unforced error from Cumberland handed Campbellsville a hard-fought 26-24 victory.
Cumberland responded with authority in the second set. The Phoenix leaned heavily on First Team All-Conference selection Joao Infante, whose swings began to find the floor. Despite solid defensive resistance from libero
Andrew Ovalle, the Tigers struggled to maintain offensive rhythm, allowing Cumberland to pull away late and claim the second set 25-19.
Refusing to let the momentum slip, the Tigers answered back in the third. Setter
Alonzo Vega found a seamless groove, repeatedly feeding Christou and Hamadache on the outside while utilizing
Pedro Zavatini to freeze the opposing block. Campbellsville controlled the tempo from the opening serve, building a comfortable cushion and cruising to a 25-19 set win to take a 2-1 match lead.
Facing elimination, the Phoenix emptied the tank in the fourth frame. Infante (who finished the night with a match-high 32 kills) took over, trading blows with the Campbellsville front row. The Tigers kept the score tight, but a late surge by the Phoenix proved too much to overcome. Cumberland edged Campbellsville 25-22 to force a winner-take-all fifth set.
Cumberland surged out of the gates, building a quick 3-0 advantage to put the Tigers on their heels. Campbellsville fought back to tie the score at 8-8, but Cumberland mounted another push, rattling off a run to take a daunting 12-9 lead.
Following an exchange of side-outs, an Infante kill gave the Phoenix match point at 14-12. With their historic season hanging by a thread, the Tigers engineered their comeback. Christou hammered home a crucial kill to keep Campbellsville alive, making it 14-13. With
Denzel Madrigal stepping behind the service line to apply pressure, Vega went right back to Christou, who buried another kill to tie the match at 14-14. Reeling from the sudden shift in momentum, the Phoenix committed a costly error to give the Tigers their first match point. Refusing to let the opportunity slip, Vega set Christou one final time, and the freshman delivered a thunderous match-ending kill to seal the 16-14 victory.
