Lebanon, TN – The 10th-ranked Patriots continued its incredible run of dominance Saturday morning, sweeping (RV) Cumberland University 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-13) at Dallas Floyd Phoenix Arena. The win marks the Patriots 13th consecutive sweep as they remain unbeaten at 18-0 overall and 4-0 in Mid-South Conference play. 

The Patriots were once again balanced and efficient, hitting .308 as a team while holding the Phoenix to just .109. Sara Zampedri paced the UC attack with 17 kills on a .441 clip to go along with 10 digs and two aces. Kara Gipson added nine kills while hitting .750, and Savanah Jolly dished out 27 assists, adding five kills, three aces, and 15 digs for another strong all-around performance. 

Brynnley Bryant contributed six kills and eight digs, while Alana Shiery chipped in a pair of kills and two blocks. Davey Slaughter and Elaina Fischer each tallied multiple digs, helping UC's defense total 55 on the day. 

The opening set was tightly contested early with six ties and three lead changes before the Patriots began to separate behind a 6-1 run fueled by Zampedri and Gipson. Leading 20-17, UC closed strong with a pair of kills from Bryant and a Jolly ace to take the set 25-19. 

In the second frame, UC again found themselves in a back-and-forth battle until midway through when Zampedri rattled off three straight kills to put the Patriots up 15-11. The lead grew as Jolly and Shiery teamed up for a block and Zampedri closed out the set with a cross-court kill, giving Cumberlands another 25-19 win. 

The Patriots carried that momentum into the third, racing out to an 11-4 advantage thanks to Jolly's serving and two early kills from Gipson. Cumberland attempted to rally, but UC's offense was unstoppable, hitting .391 in the frame. A late 5-1 spurt highlighted by back-to-back Zampedri kills and a Gipson finish sealed the 25-13 win and the sweep.  

The Pats return home Friday October 10th when they host Bethel University (Tenn.) at the UC Volleyball Gym. 

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