Williamsburg, KY – The (RV) Cumberlands Volleyball team opened play at the Cumberlands Invite with a statement win, knocking off #17 Montana Tech 3-1 (21-25, 25-18, 25-19, 25-14) Friday afternoon inside the UC Volleyball Gym. With the victory, UC improves to 5-0 on the year, while the Orediggers move to 2-2.
Brynnley Bryant and Sara Zampedri paced the Patriots with a combined 36 kills as UC hit .253 as a team. Bryant notched a team-high 19 kills to go along with 14 digs, while Zampedri added 17 kills and 10 digs. With her performance, Zampedri eclipsed the 1,000 career kills mark, becoming the newest Patriot to reach the milestone. Setter, Savanah Jolly, directed the attack with 48 assists, three aces, and 13 digs for her third double-double of the season. Alana Shiery and Kara Gipson chipped in eight kills apiece, while Davey Slaughter anchored the defense with 17 digs.
Montana Tech came out strong in the opening set, using a pair of late runs to break a 19-19 tie and pull away 25-21 to take the early 1-0 lead.
The Patriots responded in the second set behind their balanced attack. Bryant and Zampedri each tallied four kills, while Gipson added three as UC hit .353 for the frame. A 6-1 run midway through the set, capped by a Slaughter service ace, gave Cumberlands a 17-11 edge. From there, the Patriots controlled play and closed out the set 25-18 to even the match 1-1.
UC carried the momentum into the third set, rallying from an early deficit with a 7-2 run that featured a pair of kills from Shiery. Zampedri's back-to-back kills stretched the lead to 20-15, and Bryant sealed the frame with a cross-court kill for the 25-19 win.
Cumberlands left no doubt in the fourth, racing out to a 12-6 advantage and never looking back. Jolly connected with Bryant and Gipson on multiple quick attacks, while the defense held the Orediggers to a .077 hitting percentage in the set. Bryant capped off her 19-kill performance with the match-clinching point to give the Patriots the 25-14 win and the 3-1 victory.
The Patriots return to action Saturday, August 30, when they host Carolina University and Union Commonwealth to close out the Cumberlands Invite. First serve against the Bruins is set for 12:20 p.m. ET.
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