Williamsburg, KY – The top-seed and 24
th-ranked Cumberlands volleyball team have five players record at least six kills as UC defeated fourth-seed Lindsey Wilson 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-20) in the semifinals of the MSC Tournament Wednesday night at the UC Volleyball Gym. With the win, the Patriots improve to 29-4 on the year and advance to the MSC Championship match for the fourth straight year.
Savanah Jolly led the way for UC with 33 assists and a team-high 10 digs.
Sara Zampedri notched eight kills and a pair of aces, while
Brynnley Bryant added seven kills.
Martina Frangella,
Alana Shiery, and
Elaina Fischer each notched six kills and combined for 13 blocks in the match.
Cumberlands opened the match on a 6-1 run with Zampedri tallied two kills and a block. Lindsey Wilson cut the lead to two four times, before a Zampedri kill spark a four-point Patriots run. Frangella tallied back-to-back blocks extending Cumberlands lead to 18-10. The two teams traded points, before the Patriots rattled off four straight points capped off with an ace from
Kendall Yarber to take the first set 25-14.
Lindsey Wilson (19-17; 6-6) took a 3-0 lead into the second set, before a block from Shiery and Zampedri sparked a three-point run to even the score at 3-3. The two teams traded points as the Blue Raiders took a 15-10 lead midway through the second set. UC responded with a
Morgan Bentel ace coupled with a pair of Frangella kills tied the set at 15-15. Three players later, Frangella landed a kill giving Cumberlands its first lead of the set 17-16. Bryant added a kill and an ace, while a pair of UC runs made it 24-21.
Josie Newcom closed out the set with a kill as Cumberlands took the set 25-23 and the 2-0 advantage.
Four different Patriots notched kills as the Pats took a 5-1 edge in the third set. Lindsey Wilson cut the lead to 6-4, before UC responded with seven unanswered points, including a pair of aces from
Ryann Livingston, to take a 13-4 lead. Cumberlands utilized a 7-3 run capped off with a block from Shiery and Fischer to take the 20-9 advantage. The Blue Raiders went on a 10-3 run, before Jolly connected with Bryant for a kill as UC took the third set 25-20 and the 3-0 victory.
Cumberlands advances to the MSC Championship match on Friday, November 13
th, against second-seed Campbellsville, who defeated sixth-seed Freed-Hardeman 3-2 tonight. First serve is set for 7:30 p.m.
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