MISHAWAKA, Ind.-- Cumberland men's volleyball splits the final day of the Pilot Invite. The Phoenix kicked off the day on a high note with a 3-1 win over Culver-Stockton, but fell in three against Calumet College of St. Joseph

Vs. Culver-Stockton
Jacob Whyte played a fantastic match against the Wildcats, finishing with 18 kills, four aces, and a .389 attacking percentage. Running a 5-1 offense, Alexander Heuer totaled 39 assists. Caleb Ginnings held down the back row with 11 digs.
The excitement of the first set ignited with Whyte's opening kill from the outside, setting the tone for a fierce offensive battle. Matching Cumberland's intensity, the Wildcats quickly responded with a kill of their own.
The Phoenix pulled ahead with a 9-6 lead, capitalizing on consecutive errors from Culver-Stockton's side. A four-point streak from the Wildcats reversed the momentum, giving them a one point advantage. 
The Phoenix fought back, leveling the score with swings from Kaden Kuehler and Kix Ferrell, but Culver-Stockton embarked on a 5-1 run fueled by four kills, establishing their largest lead of the set at 18-14.
The Phoenix were undeterred, however, and used a Wildcats service error to their advantage. The errors sparked a huge 7-0 run that propelled Cumberland to a 22-19 lead, complete with back-to-back aces from Heuer. 
Determined to regain control, the Wildcats tightened their front row and collected consecutive blocks to set the stage for a thrilling conclusion.
With both sides dominating at the net, the teams traded the lead and extended the set into extra points. 
The final push saw an exchange of errors, with a missed serve from Cumberland bringing the Wildcats to gamepoint at 31-30. However, an immediate double from the Wildcats kept the game alive.
Once again, the Wildcats reached game point from a Cumberland error at the serving line, and a mishit at the net allowed Culver-Stockton to take the set 33-31.
Fueled by the ferocity of set one, Cumberland opened the second frame with a  6-1 lead, backed by Whyte's kill and ace. Despite Culver-Stockton's efforts to narrow the gap, Whyte remained a dominant force at the net, contributing three more kills and a block to drive the Phoenix to a commanding 17-6 lead.
Cumberland maintained their dominance through the remainder of the set, limiting Culver-Stockton to just three kills total. With 12 team kills and an impressive  .250 attacking percentage, Cumberland cruised to a 25-15 win.  
Cumberland continued to challenge Culver-Stockton's attackers in the third set while keeping their own errors to a minimum. Taking control of the momentum early, the Phoenix surged ahead with a 10-3 run, during which Whyte connected on four swings.
Relying on their defensive efforts to stay in the game, the Wildcats reduced the eight point deficit to just four with a series of blocks. Despite the Wildcats' boost of energy, the Phoenix continued to apply pressure and with three more outside kills they secured a 25-21 victory.
Determined to force a fifth set, the Wildcats kicked off the fourth frame with a 5-1 lead as the Cumberland hitters struggled to find openings in the defense. 
Facing a five point disadvantage, Austin Smalley ignited the Phoenix front row with a kill from the middle, sparking an important five-point run to level the score.
The teams traded points from that moment on, resulting in a 23-23 tie game. A crucial kill from Ferrell followed by an attacking error made by the Wildcats secured Cumberland's first win of the season.

Vs. Calumet College of St. Joseph
As a team, Cumberland struggled with a hitting percentage of .143%, while CCSJ boasted an impressive .364%. The Phoenix suffered 12 total service errors with only three aces, keeping them from going on any significant runs throughout the match.
Jacob Whyte repeated as Cumberland's leading attacker, tallying nine kills. Caleb Ginnings finished strong with a game-high ten digs.
After an early exchange of service errors and aces, the Crimson Wave pulled ahead 14-9, taking advantage of several errors from Cumberland that forced them to call a timeout. Following the timeout, CCSJ continued their momentum, rattling off four consecutive successful swings to extend their lead and prompt another timeout from the Phoenix.
The second break worked in Cumberland's favor, with Whyte breaking their dry spell with a crucial kill and Sam Mannebach and Kuehler combining for a block. 
Despite a late push from the Phoenix, including a 6-2 drive where both middle attackers picked up a kill, they were unable to overcome their early disadvantage. Although the teams matched in kill count, CU's errors outweighed those of the Crimson Wave, resulting in a 25-20 loss.
The Crimson Wave gained a 4-2 advantage early in the second set, fueled by kills from Francis Hauz, a lead they maintained throughout. The Phoenix struggled at the net, leaving them trailing as the set unfolded. 
With a decisive final kill and an ace to cap it off, the Crimson Wave powered their way to a 25-16 victory.
Cumberland maintained a strong attack percentage throughout the third set, recording a solid .296. However, they struggled to bounce back from the Crimson Wave's early 4-2 lead once again. 
With both teams playing clean offensively, the outcome hinged on effective defense and the kill count. 
Cumberland committed only three hitting errors in total, but the Crimson Wave's offense notched 17 kills in the set—the highest in the game—allowing them to cruise through the frame. A final swing from Ethan Dawson sealed CCSJ's sweep with a 25-18 score.

The Phoenix will have just under a week to recover from their busy opening weekend before heading to Town and Country, Missouri for the Maryville Invite. Their first match of the tournament is scheduled for Friday, February 16, at 5:00 PM CT against Missouri S&T.