Lima, OH – The 21
st ranked Cumberlands volleyball team split their two matches falling to #9 Aquinas 3-1, before defeating Northwestern Ohio 3-1 Saturday afternoon. UC closes out the day with a 16-4 record on the season.
On the day,
Sara Zampedri notched 30 kills and 26 digs to lead the way, while
Brynnley Bryant added 26 kills, 19 digs and four blocks.
Alana Shiery notched 9 blocks and 10 kills, while
Savanah Jolly dished out 83 assists and
Morgan Bentel tallied a team-high 31 digs.
Patriots Rally Comes Up Short Against #9 Saints
Zampedri and Bryant each tallied 14 kills in the match, while Jolly notched 40 assists. Shiery had seven blocks and Bentel finished with 13 digs.
After falling behind 2-0, Cumberlands looked to rally in the third set. UC jumped out to a 5-1 lead behind a trio of kills. Zampedri added a kill and a block as the Patriots extended their lead to 10-5. A few points later, Zampedri notched a kill, which sparked a four-point run that featured kill and block from
Josie Newcom to make it a 15-7 advantage. The two teams would trade points until a Newcom kill give UC the set 25-16 cutting the deficit to 2-1.
UC continued that momentum in the fourth set as Shiery notched a kill and a block giving the Pats a 3-1 lead. The set was tied five times, before Bentel connected with Bryant for a kill giving Cumberlands the 9-8 edge. The set continued to go back-and-forth and three-point Patriot run put them in front 16-14. Aquinas battled back to take a 20-19 lead before Bryant and
Martina Frangella tallied back-to-back kills putting UC back in front. The set was tied four more times, however, the Saints pulled out the 26-24 win taking the match 3-1.
Cumberlands Raced Past UNOH 3-1 (25-16, 21-25, 25-21, 25-18)
Zampedri led the way with 16 kills and 12 digs, while Bryant and Newcom added 12 kills apiece. Jolly dished out 43 assists to go along with 16 digs, while Bentel notched a team-best 18 digs.
UC took control of the match early jumping out to a 6-1 lead in the first set. The two teams traded points until a Zampedri kill extended Cumberlands lead to 12-7. The Raced pulled within three points before Zampedri tallied a kill and an ace to make it 20-14. Cumberlands scored five of the final six points of the set taking the first set 25-16 and the 1-0 lead.
UNOH responded taking the second set 25-21 to even the score at 1-1. In the third set, the Patriots jumped out to an 8-1 lead behind a pair of blocks and a trio of kills. UNOH went on a four-point run but Jolly notched an assist and a block with Frangella to give UC a 10-5 lead. The two team went back-and-forth until a Newcom kill sparked a four-point rally giving the Pats a 20-10 advantage. After the Racers tallied nine straight points, UC would close out the set with an ace from
Kendall Yarber to take the 2-1 lead.
UNOH took a 4-2 lead in the fourth set before UC strung together a pair of three-point runs to make it 8-5. The teams traded points until a Newcom kill off an assist from Shiery sparked a five-point run giving Cumberlands a 16-10 edge. Newcom tallied three kills and a block on that run. UC added a pair of three-point runs, including kills from Frangella and Zampedri taking the set 25-18 and the win 3-1.
Cumberlands returns to the court on Wednesday, September 30
th, when they host Midway. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m.
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