Kokomo, IN – The 20th-ranked Patriots stayed perfect on the season with a pair of sweeps Friday at the IU Kokomo Quad Tournament. UC opened the day with a top-25 win over #18 IU Kokomo 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 26-24) before closing out the afternoon with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 26-24) sweep over IU East. With the victories, the Patriots move to 9-0 on the year.
Sara Zampedri and Brynnley Bryant paced the Patriots offensively as Zampedri combined for 20 kills and 19 digs across the two matches, while Bryant tallied 28 kills, 15 digs, and four aces. Alana Shiery chipped in 15 kills and three blocks on the day. Savanah Jolly directed the offense with 65 assists and added seven kills, while Davey Slaughter anchored the back row with 25 digs. Overall, UC recorded 83 kills, 13 aces, and 16 blocks across both matches.
#20 Patriots Top #18 IU Kokomo for Signature Win
Brynnley Bryant led the Patriots with a match-high 16 kills to go along with eight digs and a service ace. Sara Zampedri added 12 kills on a .370 hitting percentage while also recording ten digs. Alana Shiery was efficient in the middle with seven kills and two blocks.
Setter Savanah Jolly guided the attack with 33 assists, four kills, two aces, and nine digs in a well-rounded performance. Defensively, libero Davey Slaughter tallied a team-best nine digs, helping UC limit the Cougars to a .252 hitting percentage.
The opening set saw both sides trade points with nine ties and four lead changes before UC used a late push, capped by back-to-back kills from Bryant, to take the frame 25-23. In the second set, the Patriots overcame an early Kokomo lead with a balanced offensive effort from Zampedri and Shiery to seize control midway through, holding the Cougars under .170 hitting en route to the 25-21 win.
The third set was the tightest of the match, featuring 10 ties and three lead changes. After Kokomo tied the score at 24-24, Cumberlands responded with a kill from Zampedri followed by a Cougar error to close out the sweep 26-24.
Overall, UC hit .237 as a team, finishing with 43 kills, six aces, and six blocks in the match.
#20 UC Completes Sweep over IU East
In the afternoon match, Cumberlands carried the momentum into a second sweep of the day. Bryant tallied 12 kills, three aces, and seven digs, while Zampedri added eight kills and nine digs. Shiery remained steady in the middle with eight kills on a .316 clip, and Kara Gipson chipped in four kills. Jolly orchestrated the offense with 32 assists, while Slaughter tallied a match-high 16 digs.
UC jumped in front early in the first set, using a pair of Bryant kills to grab a 15-10 lead en route to a 25-21 win. The second set mirrored the first as the Patriots capitalized on timely serving from Zampedri and strong defense to pull away late for another 25-21 victory. In the third, IU East battled back to tie the score at 24-24, however, UC responded as Zampedri and Jolly teamed up to secure the final two points, giving the Patriots the 26-24 win and the sweep.
Cumberlands will compete again tomorrow for day two of the IU Kokomo Quad where they will face Bryan College (Tenn.) and Siena Heights University (Mich.) with the first match beginning at 10 a.m. ET.
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