Women's Volleyball 8/26/2023 10:42:00 PM

Phoenix Sweep Final day of Phoenix Classic

Box Score Lebanon, Tenn.-- Cumberland records another clean sweep on the final day of the Phoenix Classic, going 4-2 on the weekend. The Phoenix won an exciting five set game against Saint Mary to start their day, and finished it up at a 3-1 victory over Faulkner.

Vs. Saint Mary

Cumberland made a huge comeback in game one, battling back after dropping the first two to take set five with some late-set intensity. The teams were well-matched, with Cumberland hitting a .155 and Saint Mary right behind at .152. The Phoenix picked up just one more dig than the Spires, with 96 total.

Haley Mitchell had a strong game overall with a team-high 17 kills, while Hazel Konkel added 13 on a solid .306 attack percentage. Lauren Galvan added ten kills, five aces, and nine digs, making some huge plays over the course of the five sets. Kaleigh Glass posted a game-high 23 digs, her personal best so far this season.

The Phoenix had a strong start with four kills in the first few rallies for a 6-2 lead. The Spires used a timeout and immediately put away six straight, during which Abby Rankin recorded two aces.

After battling it out through the middle stages, Galvan took CU on a six point run from the service line to create some separation with a 19-14 score. Once again, the Spires responded accordingly to tie it at 20-20 and the teams fought it out down to the very end. The Phoenix gave up the final two points on back-to-back errors at the net to give Saint Mary the 25-22 victory.

Cumberland struggled offensively throughout the second, relying heavily on their back line to keep them alive. As a team, they hit a .083 with eleven kills and eight errors.

After exchanging points back and forth to start the set, Sydney Pearce delivered five straight serves to put Cumberland ahead 13-9.

The Spires recovered the deficit with the help of two kills and a block for an even 15-15 game, sending CU into a break. The timeout did little to stop Saint Mary's energy, as they continued to distance themselves with a string of five more points.

The Phoenix found some late-set drive with a pair of kills from Konkel andLayla Young, but the Spires were able to close it out at 25-23 with a tool kill.

Cumberland made vast improvements at the net to go on a 7-1 run in the third, during which Galvan contributed three kills from the outside. The Phoenix held on to the lead down the stretch, but were threatened by Saint Mary's five point run that cut it to two at 18-16.

From that point on it was another neck and neck race to close out, but the Spires committed a pair of errors in the final two plays to give CU the 25-20 win.

Cumberland had the lead through the entire first half of set four until Saint Mary's 6-2 run flipped the advantage in their favor. It was another evenly matched ending with ties at 21-21 and 22-22, but back-to-back kills from Mitchell would give CU the 25-22 victory.

Galvan kicked off the deciding set on a high note for CU with a fantastic service ace but the Spires made the first real break with a string of four points. The Phoenix made some on-court adjustments at the 10-5 score to break up the run.

Galvan came alive in the front row at just the right moment, slamming down three kills in a row to cut Saint Mary's lead down to one. She would go on to give the Phoenix their first lead with back-to-back aces, completely changing the game's momentum. Young's smart roll to center court ended the game in Cumberland's favor 15-13.

Vs. Faulkner

Cumberland took the first major lead of the game with a six point run during which Glass counted two aces. From there, the Phoenix took off and stayed on the gas to maintain the lead through the rest of the set.

The Eagles found an opportunity to cut the lead to with back-to-back CU errors, but the Phoenix cleaned up their side to earn the 25-20 win. Konkel was unstoppable in the set, putting away six kills on seven attempts.

The Phoenix had a slow start to set two, giving up three errors in the first four points. The Eagles saw significant improvement from their front row, challenging CU's defenders with a .364 team attack percentage.

Faulkner led by as many as nine while Cumberland struggled to get into a solid groove. The Phoenix found some much needed energy late in the set and chipped away at the deficit with a seven ball run, but could never fully recover. Faulkner split the game with the 25-22 set win.

The Phoenix had a 3-0 start to the third with the help of back-to-back kills from Haley Mitchell. Faulkner trailed behind through the entire set, posting their lowest attack outing of the game at -.030. The Phoenix cruised to a 25-17 win to regain the advantage.

The teams traded points as set four progressed, but it would be the Phoenix who came out on top assisted by a solid attack percentage of .375- their best of the day- and solid performances from the defense.

Cumberland began to pull away around the halfway mark, as Galvan, Konkel, and Young found the court on some hard swings. The set concluded as Kayla Andre delivered the final blow.

The Phoenix will head to Mishawaka, Indiana Labor Day weekend for a two day tournament. The action will begin on September 1 against the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

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Players Mentioned

Kayla Andre: Redshirt

#7 Sydney Pearce: OH; 5' 9"; Junior

#6 Lauren Galvan: OH; 5' 8"; Junior

#9 Hazel Konkel: MH; 6' 2"; Freshman

#20 Kaleigh Glass: L/DS; 5' 3"; Freshman

#17 Haley Mitchell: OH/OPP/DS; 5' 10"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Kayla Andre
: Redshirt

#7 Sydney Pearce
: 5' 9"; Junior
: OH

#6 Lauren Galvan
: 5' 8"; Junior
: OH

#9 Hazel Konkel
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: MH

#20 Kaleigh Glass
: 5' 3"; Freshman
: L/DS

#17 Haley Mitchell
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: OH/OPP/DS