FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Campbellsville University concluded the Onset Invitational at 2-2 and moved to 6-2 overall Saturday after surrendering a two-set lead in a five-set loss to Spring Arbor before falling in four sets to No. 13 IU Kokomo.
- Campbellsville opened the day by winning the first two sets against Spring Arbor, but the Cougars completed the reverse sweep, 19-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-15, 15-10. No. 13 IU Kokomo then defeated the Tigers 25-27, 25-14, 27-25, 25-16.
- The Tigers went 2-2 at the Onset Invitational and exited Fort Wayne with a 6-2 overall record. All four of Campbellsville's matches at the event lasted at least four sets.
- Campbellsville hit .268 through the first two sets against Spring Arbor, but its efficiency declined over the final three frames. The Tigers hit .100 in the third, .079 in the fourth and minus-.158 in the fifth.
- Larkin Taylor supplied Campbellsville's most efficient attacking performance Saturday, recording 13 kills with two errors on 22 swings for a .500 hitting percentage against Spring Arbor.
- Kati Vest distributed 71 assists across nine sets and added 11 kills on a .409 hitting percentage. She finished with 40 assists, 11 digs, six kills and three aces against Spring Arbor before recording 31 assists without an attacking error against IU Kokomo.
- Celestina Retumban totaled a team-high 38 digs Saturday, including 20 against IU Kokomo, and delivered five aces in the Spring Arbor match. Olivia Hellman added 29 digs across the two contests.
- Campbellsville struggled to sustain pressure from the service line against IU Kokomo, finishing with two aces and 13 service errors while the nationally ranked Cougars recorded eight aces.
MATCH ONE: Spring Arbor 3, Campbellsville 2
Campbellsville began Saturday by taking control against Spring Arbor. After trailing 15-11 in the opening set, the Tigers answered with a 12-1 run and pulled ahead 23-16. A Taylor kill secured the 25-19 decision.
The Tigers carried that momentum into the second set, using a 10-1 surge to turn a 7-6 advantage into a 17-8 lead. Spring Arbor closed within 24-21, but Akcivi terminated the next rally to give Campbellsville a 25-21 victory and a two-set lead. The Tigers hit .263 in the frame, with Taylor contributing four kills.
Campbellsville led 20-16 in the third after consecutive Vest aces and kills from Thorne and Taylor. Spring Arbor responded with eight consecutive points, however, taking a 24-20 advantage before closing the set 25-22.
The Cougars broke open the fourth with a 10-0 run that transformed a 10-10 tie into a 20-10 Spring Arbor lead. Campbellsville was unable to recover in the 25-15 loss, sending the match to a deciding set.
Spring Arbor scored seven consecutive points to build an 8-1 advantage in the fifth. Campbellsville fought back with a 6-0 run to draw within 8-7, but the Cougars claimed seven of the final 10 points to complete the reverse sweep, 15-10.
Taylor led Campbellsville with 13 kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Erwin and Akcivi each added 10 kills, while Vest totaled 40 assists, 11 digs, six kills and three aces. Retumban recorded 18 digs and five aces, and Hellman contributed 16 digs.
MATCH TWO: IU Kokomo 3, Campbellsville 1
Campbellsville returned later Saturday to face No. 13 IU Kokomo and captured an extended opening set. The Tigers erased a 15-13 deficit with five consecutive points and later reached set point at 24-22. After IU Kokomo drew even, Akcivi recorded kills at 25-25 and 26-25 before Vest finished the 27-25 victory.
IU Kokomo answered by hitting .500 with 16 kills and one error in the second set. Campbellsville remained within 12-11 before the Cougars used an 8-1 run to pull away, eventually evening the match with a 25-14 decision.
The Tigers built an 11-5 advantage in the third and later moved in front 24-23 on consecutive kills from Thorne. IU Kokomo saved set point and closed the frame by taking four of the final five rallies for a 27-25 victory.
The nationally ranked Cougars scored the first eight points of the fourth and maintained command throughout the 25-16 final set. Thorne paced Campbellsville with 13 kills and a .296 hitting percentage, while Retumban collected 20 digs. Vest finished with 31 assists and five errorless kills on eight attempts, and Hager contributed five kills and three total blocks.
