FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Campbellsville University improved to 6-0 Friday by overcoming an opening-set loss in each match and defeating the University of Northwestern Ohio and Bethel (Ind.) in four sets on the first day of the Onset Invitational.
- Campbellsville responded after dropping the opening set in both matches, winning six of the final seven sets to remain unbeaten at 6-0. The Tigers defeated Northwestern Ohio 20-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-18 before dispatching Bethel 25-22, 23-25, 25-16, 25-19.
- The Tigers combined for 122 kills and a .262 hitting percentage while limiting their opponents to 96 kills and a .137 clip. Campbellsville committed 40 attack errors across 313 attempts, compared with 52 errors on 321 swings by Northwestern Ohio and Bethel.
- Campbellsville's offense became more efficient as each match progressed. The Tigers hit .389 in the fourth set against Northwestern Ohio and produced consecutive clips of .306 and .378 in the second and third sets against Bethel.
- Kati Vest directed the attack with 101 assists over eight sets, including 50 against Northwestern Ohio and 51 against Bethel. She also contributed 11 kills, 19 digs and three blocks across the two victories.
- Riley Thorne and Larkin Taylor provided efficient offense on the pins. Thorne totaled 24 kills with four errors for a .364 hitting percentage, while Taylor also hit .364 with 22 kills on 44 attempts.
- Brooke Hager finished the day with 17 kills and only two errors on 35 attacks, good for a .429 hitting percentage. Hager hit .529 without an error against Northwestern Ohio before adding eight kills and three block assists against Bethel.
- Celestina Retumban anchored the Tigers' floor defense with 49 digs, averaging 6.13 per set, and added three service aces in the win over Bethel. Campbellsville accumulated 149 digs and 14.5 team blocks across Friday's matches.
MATCH ONE: Campbellsville 3, UNOH 1
Campbellsville opened the invitational against Northwestern Ohio, which used an early 7-1 advantage to take the first set 25-20. The Tigers answered in the second, turning a 9-7 deficit into a 17-10 lead before evening the match with a 25-19 victory. Campbellsville hit .250 in the frame and received five kills from Taylor.
The Tigers controlled the third set after breaking away from an 11-8 lead. Campbellsville held Northwestern Ohio to nine kills and a .000 hitting percentage, while Thorne and Taylor combined for eight kills in a 25-17 win.
Campbellsville completed the comeback by hitting .389 with 16 kills and two errors in the fourth. The Tigers used a 7-1 run to turn an 11-11 tie into an 18-12 advantage, then closed the match 25-18. Thorne led Campbellsville with 13 kills and a .370 hitting percentage, Taylor added 12 kills on a .409 clip and Akcivi finished with 12 kills and 10 digs. Hager totaled nine errorless kills, while Retumban recorded 26 digs and Vest distributed 50 assists.
MATCH TWO: Campbellsville 3, Bethel 1
Campbellsville returned Friday evening to face Bethel and built an 18-8 advantage in the opening set. The Pilots narrowed the margin to 24-22, but Erwin's sixth kill of the frame secured a 25-22 Campbellsville victory.
The Tigers hit .306 and recorded 19 kills in the second set, but Bethel erased a 20-15 deficit and scored 10 of the final 13 points to win 25-23. Campbellsville responded decisively in the third, using a 6-0 run behind Retumban's serve to take a 14-10 lead. The Tigers committed only one attack error and hit .378 in the set, pulling away for a 25-16 victory.
Campbellsville scored five of the first six points in the fourth and later used a 5-0 run to build a 10-4 advantage. After Bethel pulled within one at 19-18, the Tigers claimed six of the final seven rallies, with Hager supplying the match-ending kill in a 25-19 decision.
Erwin led Campbellsville with 14 kills against the Pilots. Thorne added 11 kills on a .357 hitting percentage, while Akcivi finished with 11 kills and 16 digs. Taylor totaled 10 kills, Retumban collected 23 digs and three aces, and Hellman added 22 digs. Vest produced 51 assists, 11 digs and seven kills while hitting .400.
Campbellsville continues the Onset Invitational on Saturday against Spring Arbor (Mich.) at 10:45 a.m. ET before concluding the event against IU Kokomo.
