Williamsburg, KY – The best start in UC Volleyball history extended to 13-0 as the Patriots swept the competition on the second day of the Cumberlands Invite, 3-0 over Northwestern Ohio and Union. The 2024 season has seen the longest win streak in Patriots Volleyball program history, surpassing an 11-match streak in 2001. Across the two games, the Patriots compiled 87 kills, 83 assists, 12 aces, and 11 blocks.
 
UC Outruns Northwestern Ohio, 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-23)
Offensively, Allyson Grava marked 15 kills, while Faith Franklin took eight. Libero, Juliet Banks, collected a team-high 20 digs and the setter, Savanah Jolly, led the team with 20 assists and marked four kills. Aleksandra Augustyniak compiled four service aces, along with three blocks.

The first set opened with the two teams swapping points until the Pats broke away for an 11-7 lead with two Grava kills, a kill by Gipson, and a pair of attacking errors on the Racers. Banks aced Northwestern Ohio twice to extend the lead to 17-8. A double block by Faith Franklin and Gipson defended UC's lead at 18-9. UNOH attempted to come back, but the Patriots ended the set with a 25-17 off kills by Savanah Jolly and Aleksandra Augustyniak and a final point ace served by Kendall Arnold.

Franklin tallied two kills, while Gipson and Augustyniak notched one a piece to start the second set but found themselves in a 5-3 deficit. The Pats shifted into a 9-7 lead with back-to-back aces served by Augustyniak, along with clutch kills from Jolly, Franklin, and Grava. The Racers took a 15-14 lead, but a powerful kill by Zampedri and a kill by setter Jolly put UC up 16-15. Ryann Livingston served four consecutive points that resulted in a pair of kills from Grava and one by Jolly, 21-17. To close the match at 25-23, Gipson notched a kill.

The Patriots were down in the third set, 5-4, to UNOH, but fought back with an incredible rally ending in a kill by Grava to level the score at 7-7. In the next point, Franklin recorded another kill, putting Cumberlands in an 8-7 lead.  Three straight kills from Grava extended the Patriot advantage to 11-9, followed by another point on an Augustyniak kill. UC capitalized off three Racer errors and kills from both Zampedri and Jori Dowling to lead 19-14. With Northwestern Ohio catching up, Gipson and Augustyniak marked two consecutive double blocks to finish the match with a third-set score of 25-23.
 
UC Defeats the Bulldogs, 3-0 (25-11, 25-21, 25-21)
Sara Zampedri paved the way for Cumberlands, as she tallied 15 kills. Sophomore setter, Savanah Jolly, notched a new career high of seven kills and recorded 14 assists, while Kendall Arnold marked 20. Juliet Banks collected 20 digs and Kara Gipson sealed five blocks.

Cumberlands was quickly up 7-3 in the first set, noting two kills from Sara Zampedri and one from Grava in addition to four Bulldog attacking errors. A pair of kills by Grava and an ace served by Davey Slaughter put the Pats in an 11-5 lead. Faith Franklin followed with a kill, accompanied by a double block by Kara Gipson and Grava, 13-7. Impressive defense from Banks and Grava helped UC capitalize on attacking errors by Union for a lead of 16-8. A Jolly good kill and another kill from Grava closed the first set at 25-11, as the defense held off the Bulldogs.

At the beginning of set two, the Pats trailed Union 13-11 when a powerful kill by Zampedri sparked UC's momentum and Slaughter followed with a service ace to tie the set at 13-13. A Franklin kill shifted the Cumberlands into a 14-13 advantage. After the Bulldogs leveled the score at 18-18, a solo block by Gipson put UC up 19-18. The trio of Augustyniak, Jolly, and Zampedri each recorded a kill to ensure Cumberlands' 24-21 lead, and a Franklin kill ended the set at 25-21.

The Patriots opened the third set with a 3-0 lead courtesy of a kill by Grava, an ace served by Kendall Arnold, and a Bulldog attacking error. A three-point run consisting of two kills by the setter, Jolly, and one from Augustyniak increased UC's advantage to 8-3. The Pats were up 16-11 after kills from Augustyniak, Grava, and Gipson. Augustyniak aced Union and Alana Shiery and Augustyniak followed with a double block to strengthen the Pats' 23-17 lead. A pair of kills by Augustyniak and a double block by Jolly and Gipson closed the set with a final score of 25-21.

The Pats will face Kentucky State in a midweek match on Thursday September 5^th at 6:30 p.m. in Frankfort, KY.

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