UPLAND, Ind. — Campbellsville University finished 1-2 at the AMF Memorial Tournament, dropping four-set matches to No. 14 Taylor University and Indiana University East on Friday before responding with a four-set victory over Saint Xavier University on Saturday.
- Campbellsville moved to 11-4 overall after falling to Taylor 20-25, 16-25, 27-25, 18-25 and IU East 18-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-27 before defeating Saint Xavier 25-15, 25-12, 20-25, 25-16.
- The Tigers totaled 149 kills and hit .213 across 12 sets while holding their three opponents to a combined .188 hitting percentage. Campbellsville concluded the tournament with its most efficient performance, hitting .319 against Saint Xavier.
- Campbellsville generated 22 total blocks during the tournament, compared with 16 by its opponents. The Tigers' best blocking performance came against IU East, when they finished with six solo blocks and six block assists.
- Riley Thorne led Campbellsville with 33 kills over the three matches, reaching double figures against Taylor and IU East. She finished with 14 kills and a .242 hitting percentage against the nationally ranked Trojans before adding 13 kills against the Red Wolves.
- Brooke Hager totaled 23 kills and 8.5 total blocks, including 19 kills without an error across the final two matches. She recorded nine kills on a .375 clip against IU East and followed with 10 errorless kills, a .556 hitting percentage, and 3.5 total blocks against Saint Xavier.
- Kati Vest directed the offense with 110 assists while adding 16 kills, 31 digs, and four total blocks. She finished the tournament with 39 assists, seven kills on a .500 hitting percentage, and eight digs in the victory over Saint Xavier.
- Campbellsville produced 19 service aces during the tournament, including nine against Saint Xavier. Kaytlin Miller and Celestina Retumban each recorded four aces across the three matches, while Retumban also led the Tigers with 42 digs.
MATCH ONE: Campbellsville 1, #14 Taylor 3
Campbellsville opened the tournament Friday against host Taylor and established an early 9-4 lead in the opening set. The Trojans worked back to a 16-16 tie and later used a 5-1 run to move ahead 21-18 before closing the frame 25-20.
Taylor hit .522 with 14 kills and two errors in the second set, using an 8-2 stretch to build a 15-9 advantage. Campbellsville cut the deficit to four at 16-12, but the Trojans pulled away for a 25-16 victory.
The Tigers responded in an extended third set. Campbellsville led 11-6 before Taylor moved in front 23-21, but kills from Thorne and
Elif Akcivi tied the frame. After the teams exchanged points,
Libby Erwin gave Campbellsville a 26-25 advantage before
Hana Deticek delivered the set-clinching ace for a 27-25 decision.
The Trojans broke a 12-12 tie in the fourth with an 8-2 run and closed the match 25-18. Thorne led Campbellsville with 14 kills, while
Sophie Hill added 12 kills on a .400 hitting percentage. Vest finished with 37 assists, 11 digs, and six kills.
MATCH TWO: Campbellsville 1, IU East 3
Campbellsville returned Friday evening to face IU East. The Tigers erased an early 11-6 deficit and briefly took a 14-12 lead in the first set, but the Red Wolves regained control and won 25-18.
The Tigers answered by scoring eight of the first 10 points in the second. IU East closed within one at 17-16, but Campbellsville maintained its advantage and received a set-ending kill from
Addyson Viers to even the match with a 25-21 victory.
IU East took the third set 25-22 before Campbellsville opened the fourth with a 7-1 lead behind two aces from
Olivia Hellman and a pair of Hager points. The Red Wolves rallied, but the Tigers later moved within set point at 24-21. IU East fought off three set points and scored six of the final seven rallies to take the frame 27-25 and the match in four.
Thorne led Campbellsville with 13 kills, while Hager finished with nine errorless kills and four total blocks. Vest distributed 34 assists and added 12 digs, and Retumban recorded a team-high 16 digs.
MATCH THREE: Campbellsville 3, Saint Xavier 1
The Tigers closed the tournament Saturday against Saint Xavier and controlled the first two sets. Campbellsville used a 7-0 run to take a 9-3 lead in the opener, then extended the margin behind balanced offense and four first-set kills from Hager before finishing the frame 25-15.
Campbellsville carried that pressure into the second set, scoring seven consecutive points to build an 8-1 advantage. The Tigers later used three Retumban aces during a five-point service run to move ahead 23-10, and Taylor ended the 25-12 set with a kill.
Saint Xavier avoided the sweep by closing the third set on a 6-0 run to win 25-20. Campbellsville responded in the fourth, turning a 10-10 tie into a 17-10 advantage behind Gallardo's serve and kills from Akcivi, Miller, and Hager. The Tigers maintained control from there, and a Saint Xavier attacking error completed the 25-16 victory.
Akcivi led Campbellsville with 15 kills on a .429 hitting percentage and added 11 digs. Hager contributed 10 kills without an error on 18 attempts, Vest finished with 39 assists and seven kills, and
Marisa Gallardo recorded 13 digs and two aces as the Tigers ended the tournament with a win.
