Milligan, TN – The Patriots move to 5-3 on the season after splitting the day. UC lost the first match to Blue Mountain 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 25-21, 12-15). Then turned around and beat the host school Milligan 3-2 (21-25, 25-23, 14-25, 25-20, 15-8).   

Game Two: Milligan

In game two, Grava and Lackey recorded their second double-double of the day. Grava led the way with 17 kills and 20 digs, while Lackey put in 15 kills and 12 digs. Arnold came away with a season-
high 49 assists and Emily Prewitt had six blocks. Banks led the team in digs with 26.

The first set was very back and forth and went in the Buffaloes favor. The second set started the same way with Cumberlands having to make a late run while trailing 22-19. UC went on a 6-1 run that was sparked by a Grava kill. Lackey and Prewitt followed with a kill apiece forcing a Milligan timeout. After the timeout, two errors from the Buffaloes gave UC set point, and a block by Jackson and Lackey tied the match at 1-1.

Milligan responded by taking the third set and the Pats answered by the next two sets too get their fifth win of the season. In the forth set with the score tied 4-4, UC went on a 9-2 run to take control. That run had two solo blocks by Prewitt, then back-to-back kills from Grava. Following a service error, the Pats added three straight kills from Lackey, Blumeier, and Prewitt. Later in the set, Milligan tried to make a late run and an error gave UC set point, and Lackey ended the set with an ace.

In the final set, UC trailed early 5-3, before storming back to take the lead. Another solo block by Prewitt and a Blumeier kill tied the game. The Patriots took the lead on an ace by Grava. Then two kills in three plays from Blumeier and Lackey force a timeout with a score of 9-6. Following the timeout, UC rattled off three more points to force a second Buffaloes timeout. Those points came by way of a block by Jackson and Lackey, an ace from Banks, and a kill by Lackey. After the timeout Lackey notched another kill, before Blumeier ended the game with back-to-back kills.

Game One: Blue Mountain

In game one, the Pats had two players notch double-doubles, Allyson Grava had the first with 13 kills and 21 digs, she also added two aces to her total. The second was by Shelby Lackey, she notched 11 kills with 15 digs, four blocks and two aces. Anna Blumeier came away with 14 kills, while Kendall Arnold had 35 assists and Juliet Banks tallied 30 digs.

A slow start in set one caused UC to come from behind in the early stages. After fighting back to tie the set at 9-9, Cumberlands took the lead on a kill by Danielle Jackson and never looked back. The Pats scored four straight behind kills from Blumeier and Grava, and an ace from Lexi Lester. Later in the set the Toppers made a run to cut the gap to three, 23-20 and forced a Patriots timeout. Following the timeout, Lackey notched a kill for set point and Jackson put the set away with a kill.

Blue Mountain responded and won the next two sets. Cumberlands rallied in the fourth set to force a fifth set. Then in the fifth set UC fell short 15-12.

Cumberlands will head back to Tennessee, to take on Tennessee Wesleyan on Tuesday at 6:30 before returning home Labor Day weekend to host the first Cumberlands Invite in the Coach Kathryn Hart era.

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