LEBANON, Tenn. - - The Cumberland Women's volleyball team dropped their senior day match in a five set thriller against the Cumberlands Patriots.

A block from Hazel Konkel at 4-1 stopped that run in its tracks and the Phoenix came back in a strong way. Looking at the following 20 points of action, CU found themselves on the receiving end of a 17-3 run where they were up by a massive 12 points! Haley Mitchell led the way for the Phoenix with a five kill set, producing thunderous applause from the fans here on Senior Night.

The Patriots trotted their way back into the set slowly, but Cumberland's lead proved to be too much, as CU took the first set 25-17. Set two initially felt like UC could have begun to find their footing in the match, going out to a five point lead at 10-5, but CU again rallied.

Going on back-to-back three point rallies, Cumberland pulled the match back to just a single point deficit, though the Patriots remained in charge. Directly after going on that run the Cumberlands answered quickly with a dominant six point run of their own, making for an uphill battle in the second set for the Phoenix.

After going down by as many as eight points in the set, Cumberland rallied to get themselves back within a single point, but ultimately dropped the second set, 25-21.

With the third set being the most pivotal point of the match, each team battled back and forth in rallies that lasted more than ten balls each. Cumberland was the early aggressor as the Phoenix went out to an early 10-6 lead, though it meant little in a match as closely contested as this.

Getting the match back to an even 12-12, the Patriots sprinted their way to a set victory as they scored 13 points to the Phoenix's 4, taking the set 25-16.

Playing with their backs against the wall Cumberland needed a big fourth set to keep themselves in the match and despite a strong start from the Pats, the Phoenix got to work. A beautiful setter dump from Manoella Gomes fooled the whole UC team and kicked off the first rally of the frame for CU.

In that same rally Paulina Dziedic forced two service aces and propelled Cumberland into their first lead of the set, 10-8. Keeping that distance for much of the set, the Phoenix rode their momentum to a 20-15 lead, forcing a Cumberlands timeout.

With a fifth set on the line as well as the season series, the Phoenix pulled all the stops out and took the set 25-21, forcing a decider.

The Patriots came out firing on all cylinders, winning six straight points, though the Phoenix slowed them down and grabbed three points back to make it 6-3. From that point on the Patriots kept the momentum until a Morgan Snead service ace forced a UC timeout, 11-10. Trading points all the way up to 14-13, it came down to a Pats match point and Sara Zampedri put her 24th kill of the game away to win in five.

Cumberland will wait for the rest of the conference's regular season to wrap up before the MSC Conference Tournament.