BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Campbellsville University won a pair of five-set matches Friday at the Vette City Classic, edging LSU Shreveport 15-13 in the decisive frame before rallying past Blue Mountain Christian 15-12 to improve to 8-2 overall.
- The Tigers played 10 sets and 422 points across Friday's two matches. Both contests were decided by two points in the fifth set, with Campbellsville overcoming an 8-6 deficit against LSU Shreveport and an 11-8 deficit against Blue Mountain Christian.
- Campbellsville generated 142 kills and hit .205 on 400 attacks while limiting its opponents to 114 kills and a .180 hitting percentage. The Tigers held Blue Mountain Christian to a .124 clip, including percentages below .100 in the third and fifth sets.
- Kati Vest distributed 107 assists across the two victories, averaging 10.70 assists per set. She also supplied 18 kills with two errors on 31 attacks for a .516 hitting percentage, including 13 kills on a .706 clip against Blue Mountain Christian.
- Celestina Retumban anchored the floor defense with 63 digs, averaging 6.30 per set, after recording 29 against LSU Shreveport and 34 against Blue Mountain Christian. She also contributed six of Campbellsville's 23 service aces.
- Riley Thorne led Campbellsville with 33 kills across the two matches, including 18 kills at a .341 clip against Blue Mountain Christian. Elif Akcivi followed with 33 kills and added 48 digs, recording a double-double in each victory.
- Campbellsville used its serve to create separation against Blue Mountain Christian, finishing with 14 aces. Hana Deticek led the Tigers with five, while Retumban had four, and Marisa Gallardo added three.
- The Tigers responded efficiently after dropping the opening set in both matches. Campbellsville hit .394 in the second set against LSU Shreveport, then posted percentages of .324 and .469 in the second and third sets against Blue Mountain Christian.
MATCH ONE: Campbellsville 3, LSU Shreveport 2
Campbellsville opened the day against LSU Shreveport and fell behind after the Pilots used a 9-3 run to break an 11-11 tie in the first set. The Tigers trimmed a nine-point deficit to 22-19, but LSU Shreveport closed the frame 25-19.
The Tigers answered with their most efficient set of the match, totaling 16 kills against three errors for a .394 hitting percentage in the second. Campbellsville led 17-12 before the Pilots pulled within one, but consecutive aces from Gallardo highlighted a 6-1 run that gave the Tigers a 24-19 advantage. An LSU Shreveport attack error completed the 25-21 decision.
Campbellsville led throughout much of the third set and moved ahead 21-16 behind a block from Thorne and Vest. LSU Shreveport closed within 24-23 before Akcivi delivered the set-ending kill, giving the Tigers a 25-23 victory and a 2-1 match lead.
The Pilots opened the fourth set with a 10-4 advantage, but Campbellsville worked back into the frame and took a 21-20 lead on an Akcivi kill. LSU Shreveport responded by claiming five of the final seven points to win 25-23 and force a fifth set.
Campbellsville trailed 8-6 at the changeover in the deciding frame before Vest supplied a kill and an ace, then connected with Thorne to put the Tigers ahead 9-8. The score was tied at 9, 10, and 11 before kills from Akcivi and
Brooke Hager moved Campbellsville within two points of the match. Hager added another kill for a 14-12 advantage, and an LSU Shreveport attack error secured the 15-13 victory.
Akcivi led the Tigers with 17 kills and 18 digs, while Thorne and
Libby Erwin each recorded 15 kills. Vest finished with 53 assists, 10 digs, five kills, and three aces, and Retumban collected 29 digs.
MATCH TWO: Campbellsville 3, Blue Mountain Christian 2
Campbellsville returned later Friday to face Blue Mountain Christian and again dropped an extended opening set. The Tigers reached set point at 24-22 and later led 26-25, but the Toppers scored the final three points to prevail 28-26.
The response was decisive. Campbellsville hit .324 in the second set, raced to leads of 4-0 and 14-6, and finished the frame 25-15. Deticek produced three aces in the set, while the Tigers registered 17 kills.
The Tigers were even sharper in the third, committing two attack errors on 32 swings for a .469 hitting percentage. Campbellsville used a 12-2 run to turn a 4-3 deficit into a 15-6 advantage, then pulled away for a 25-13 victory behind seven kills from Vest.
Blue Mountain Christian forced a fifth set by surviving a fourth frame that featured 17 ties after the score reached 16-16. Campbellsville had opportunities at 25-24, 26-25, 29-28, and 30-29, but the Toppers scored the final three points to take the set 34-32.
The Tigers faced an 11-8 deficit in the fifth before Gallardo's service rotation changed the match. A Vest kill began Campbellsville's response, and Gallardo followed with two aces as part of a six-point run that gave the Tigers match point at 14-11. After Blue Mountain Christian sided out, Thorne delivered the clinching kill for a 15-12 victory.
Thorne led Campbellsville with 18 kills and seven total blocks, while Akcivi posted 16 kills and 30 digs. Erwin added 14 kills, Vest totaled 54 assists, 13 kills, and 13 digs, and Retumban finished with 34 digs and four aces as the Tigers completed their 2-0 opening day.
