University of the Cumberlands Athletics

Williamsburg, KY - The tenth-ranked Patriots kept its historic run alive Friday evening, sweeping Bethel University (Tenn.) 3-0 (25-11, 25-11, 25-16) inside the UC Volleyball Gym. With the victory, the Patriots improved to 19-0 overall and 5-0 in Mid-South Conference play, tying the program's all-time record for consecutive match wins while notching their 14th straight sweep.
 
Cumberlands' offense was nearly unstoppable, hitting an impressive .438 as a team while holding Bethel to just a .077 clip. Four Patriots recorded at least eight kills, led by Sara Zampedri and Brynnley Bryant with 11 each. Kara Gipson added 10 kills on a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage, while Alana Shiery tallied eight kills at a .778 mark. Setter Savanah Jolly steered the attack with 38 assists and seven digs, while Autiana Wilson sparked the defense with six digs and three aces.
 
The Patriots came out strong in the opening set, scoring seven of the first nine points behind kills from Zampedri and Bryant to force an early Bethel timeout. The momentum continued as Gipson dominated at the net with multiple kills in a 9-2 run, propelling UC to a 25-11 win.
 
The second set followed a similar pattern as Cumberlands' balanced attack proved too much for the Wildcats. Bryant and Shiery combined for eight kills, while Jolly kept the offense in rhythm with pinpoint distribution. The Patriots closed the frame on a 6-1 run capped by a service ace from Wilson to take the set 25-11 and a commanding 2-0 match lead.
 
Bethel battled early in the third, keeping it close through the first 10 points before UC broke it open. Zampedri and Gipson fueled a 10-2 stretch that included three straight kills and a block to push the Patriots ahead for good. Another late push featuring kills from Fischer and Bryant sealed the 25-16 set victory to complete the sweep.
 
Cumberlands finished the match with 44 kills and just nine errors on 80 swings, while also tallying seven service aces and 40 digs.
 
The Patriots return to action on tomorrow when they host Freed-Hardeman in another MSC matchup. The match is set to begin at 2 p.m. ET from the UC Volleyball Gym.
 
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