Bowling Green, KY – Abbie Genders, Leah Crist and Anna Zuniga each posted a career-high as the University of the Cumberlands volleyball team posted a pair of 3-1 wins on the first day of the Vette City Volleyball Classic Friday at Ephram White Gymnasium. The Patriots defeated IU Southeast 25-23, 23-25, 25-21, 25-18) before knocking off Montreat (25-161 25-11, 21-25, 25-19) to improve to 4-2 on the season.
Genders and Zuniga got the day started as they both set career-highs against IU Southeast. Genders notched 14 kills, while Zuniga dished out 31 assists and 13 digs to give UC a four-set win.
IU Southeast jumped out to an 8-5 lead in the first set before UC scored seven of the next eight points, including a pair of blocks from Crist to take a 13-9 lead. The Grenadiers responded with an 8-4 run of their own to retake the lead 18-17. The match was tied six times before the Patriots got kills from Gender, Jennifer Stein, and Mackenzie Koch to take the first set 25-23.
The Grenadiers took the second set 25-23 before UC rallied in the third set winning the set 25-21. Zuniga connected with Lily Chapman for the first three points of the set and three of Chapman's nine kills in the match. IU Southeast took the lead for several points before Zuniga found Crist and Genders for back-to-back kills putting Cumberlands in front 10-9. After the two teams were tied seven times in the set the Patriots used an 8-4 run, capped off by an Ashley Sobocinski kill, to close out the set 25-21 and take a 2-1 advantage.
UC utilized a four-point run and a pair of three point-runs to clinch the match with a 25-18 win in the fourth set. Genders' closed out the match with her career-high 14th kill, surpassing her previous career-high of 13 set back on November 4, 2017.
Juliet Montague finished with 21 digs, while Sobocinski added ten digs and nine kills. Crist finished with seven blocks as Chapman and Koch notched four blocks apiece.
The Patriots came out strong against Montreat tallying a pair of 5-0 runs coupled with a 6-1 run to take an 18-9 lead in the first set. UC's strong play continued as Zuniga and Crist combined for the assisted block to give Cumberlands the 25-16 win and the 1-0 lead.
UC's continued their strong play in the second set. With the match evened at 7-7, Cumberlands went on an 11-1 run to take an 18-8 lead. That run was aided by four consecutive service aces by Montague, who also capped off the set win with a kill to give UC a 2-0 lead.
Montreat rallied to win the third set before the Patriots clinched the match in the fourth set with a 25-19 win. UC jumped out to a 3-0 lead and utilized multiple runs to extend their lead throughout the set. Chapman capped off the win with a kill from Zuniga, her 31st assist of the match, for the 3-1 final.
Crist tied a career-high with nine blocks in the match, while Zuniga tallied a career-high six blocks to go along with 14 digs. Genders notched ten kills and five blocks as Koch and Sobocinski recorded nine and eight kills, respectfully. Stein finished tied with Zuniga for the team-high with 14 digs.
The Patriots will return to action Saturday, August 24, when they compete on the final day of the Vette City Volleyball Class. UC faces Florida College at 10:30 a.m. before taking on Bethel at 3:30 p.m. with live stats available here.
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