Bowling Green, KY– The UC volleyball team fell to Cumberland University 3-0 (10-25, 18-25, 23-25) in the quarterfinals of the Mid-South Conference tournament Thursday afternoon at Bowling Green High School. With the win the Phoenix improve to 17-17, while the Patriots finish with a 22-13 record.

Cumberlands struck first as Lynsey Short found Abbie Genders for a kill to give UC a 1-0 lead. The Phoenix responded with a 5-1 run to take a 5-2 lead.  Megan Jackson added a kill and teamed up with Mackenzie Koch for a pair of blocks to cut the deficit to 6-5. However that was the closest the Patriots got as Cumberland used runs of six, five, and three points to take the first set 25-10 and the 1-0 lead.

In the second set, the match was tied five times before UC took advantage of Cumberland miscues to take a 7-5 lead.  Later in the set the Patriots used a block from Leah Crist and Genders to extend their lead to 10-8.  The Phoenix went on an 8-0 run to take a 16-10 lead, before UC tallied five of the next seven points to cut the deficit to 18-15.  It was the closest the Patriots came as Cumberland scored three straight to extend their lead and eventually take the set 25-18 to extend their lead to 2-0.

The two teams started the third set trading points, but a 4-1 Cumberland run gave the Phoenix a 7-4 lead.  After trading points, the Patriots rattled off four straight points, including a kill by Koch to take a 10-9 lead.  The teams traded runs, capped off by a Jackson kill, to give Cumberlands a 15-13 advantage. From that point, the Phoenix used a 6-1 run to retake the lead and pushed their lead to 23-19, before UC notched four straight points to even the score 23-23.  Cumberland scored the next two points to take the set 25-23 and the match 3-0.

Jackson and Lily Chapman led the way for the Patriots with six kills apiece. Tara Routliffe, the MSC Libero of the Year, notched 17 digs in the match, while Short finished with 21 assists, and four digs.  Jackson and Koch recorded four block each in the contest.

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