Marietta, Ga.-- Cumberland men’s volleyball closes out the regular season by splitting the day at a Life University tri-match. The Phoenix fell to Reinhardt in four but recovered quickly for their own 3-1 victory over host Life.

Cumberland 1, Reinhardt 3

Luka Ilic led Cumberland’s campaign versus Reinhardt with 15 kills on a solid .400 attack percentage. Christian Lester put away eight kills while also picking up seven digs and four assists.  

The Eagles had two attackers hit double-figure kills, led by Rodolfo Bieglmeyer with an impressive count of 20. Victor Pacheo contributed 14 kills on a .300 attack percentage, while libero Alex Sanchez recorded a game-high 12 digs. 

After dropping set one, the Phoenix came back swinging for a huge 25-18 comeback in the second. Offensively, Cumberland committed only one error on 12 total kills for a .579 attack percentage.

The lead stayed consistent with CU from the 10-9 scoreboard as Lester came alive from the right side. He totaled four kills in the set to help the Phoenix spread their favor as far as seven points. 

Cumberland faced a 3-0 deficit to start the third, but Ilic would bury a ball from the outside to spark an offensive groove in the Phoenix. It was a tight battle from then on with both teams having a set win under their belt.

A 5-1 run for the Eagles forced Cumberland to burn a timeout in an attempt to cut into their momentum. Reinhardt would maintain their lead protected by minimal errors at the net and a tight defense, pushing it out to an 18-14 game.

Confronted by a four point disadvantage, Ilic gave the Phoenix a second life by connecting on a swing that kicked off a 3-0 run for a one point game. After recollecting in a break, Reinhardt recorded two kills and a block to take the set 25-22.

Both teams had slow starts offensively in the third but it would be Reinhardt to make the first break in scoring. Biegelmeyer picked up a trio of kills to ignite a fire in the Eagles, sending CU into their first timeout of the set. 

Reinhardt was tight from then on keeping a distance from CU as Biegelmeyer went on another three kill rampage for a 24-17 score. Victor Pacheo earned the final blow and ended the game with a kill assisted by Bruno Dewes.

Cumberland 3, Life 1

Lester and Ilic were explosive on the pins once again to carry the offensive effort, each with 14 kills. Caleb Ginnings held down the defense with a game-high 19 digs. Jordan Pierce hit his 3,000th career assist in the game, recording 31 over the four sets. He currently holds the all-time record for assists at Cumberland.

The Phoenix were solid right out of the gates with an early 10-0 point streak as the Running Eagles struggled to find their footing. Lester and Pierce added two kills apiece in the run while Life committed four errors at the net.

Martinez connected on a swing to put an end to Cumberland’s reign of terror, sparking an 8-3 run to chip away at the deficit and even out the momentum. It was a tight race to the end with evenly matched attackers who traded kills down the stretch and forced the set into extra points.

A trio of Cumberland errors both on the offensive and defensive side of things ended the first in Life’s favor at 29-27.

Both sides rode their first set energy into the second for a back-and-forth effort through the middle stages. The Phoenix found an opportunity to distance themselves with a 6-3 run late in the set, during which three different CU attackers connected for kills. 

Cumberland closed out the set and evened up the match with a pair of kills from Lester and Kix Ferrell at 25-20

The Phoenix faced a similar battle in the third as the teams traded points through the middle until a 6-0 run helped Cumberland break away for a 17-10 score. The lead would stay with CU for a 25-17 ending despite a few late set attacking blemishes.

The Running Eagles would not go down without a fight as they tightened up on all cylinders, leaving little flooring for the Phoenix attackers. Cumberland had their lowest attacking outing in the set with a .088 team percentage compared to Life’s .211.

The teams were point-for-point through the entire way with neither side holding more than a four point lead, causing the set to run into extra points once again. Ilic nailed two kills in the final four points to bring CU up and Lester put it away with the final blow at 30-28.

The Men’s Volleyball Mid-South Conference tournament kicks off next week in Bowling Green, Ky. The Phoenix earned a bye into the semifinals, which will take place on Friday.