LEBANON, Tenn.--- Cumberland men's volleyball faced tough competition, dropping both matches of the day. The day's scores do not fully reflect the effort Cumberland put forth, as they battled closely with their competition in every set.


vs. Campbellsville

The Phoenix kept pace with the Tigers throughout the match but struggled to close out and clinch sets. 

As a team, Cumberland's hitting percentage was .222%, while Campbellsville finished with an impressive .384%. The most significant discrepancy occurred in set three, where the Tigers collectively hit .607%, significantly boosting their overall average. 

Cumberland led in blocking with five total, while Campbellsville was in control of the defensive game with 32 digs compared to Cumberland's 23.

Jacob Whyte led Cumberland's offense with 12 kills, supported by Luka Ilic with seven, and Kaden Keuhler contributed to four of the team's five blocks.

Cumberland took an early lead in set one, sparked by a sharp cross-court swing from Whyte, and maintained a slight advantage until Campbellsville's 3-0 run leveled the score. The match remained with an even split of momentum amongst both teams, resulting in a 22-22 tie. However, a series of unforced errors from Cumberland allowed Campbellsville to secure the set 25-23.

Set two mirrored the first, with the teams trading kills and keeping the score close. At 17-17, Campbellsville capitalized on Cumberland's serve receive struggles to take a 21-18 lead. The Tigers maintained their advantage, ultimately winning the set 25-21 with a final kill from Denzel Madrigal.

In set three, the Phoenix took an early lead, earning the first two points off a ball handling error by Campbellsville, followed by a line-shot kill from Whyte.

The Tigers' attackers responded swiftly, matching Cumberland's energy by challenging their defense with a variety of shots and swings. A 5-0 run, four of which points were the result of kills,  gave the Tigers a commanding 10-5 lead and prompted Cumberland to call a timeout.

After the break, the Phoenix came back with renewed determination, narrowing the gap to three points with a pair of kills from Zendai Richards. They managed to keep the game close until Campbellsville surged again with another four unanswered points, extending their lead to 21-14.

From that point onward, the Tigers dominated, finishing the set with 19 kills and only two errors, securing a decisive 25-17 victory.


Vs. UHSP

In the second match of the day, several Cumberland players delivered standout performances. Luka Ilic and Jacob Whyte each tallied 14 kills, with Austin Smalley adding nine kills on an impressive .500% attacking rate. Caleb Ginnings excelled defensively with 14 digs, while Alexander Heuer was just shy of a double-double with 44 assists and eight digs.

The Phoenix attackers wasted no time finding their groove, swiftly building a 4-1 lead. The Eutectics, however, turned the momentum with back-to-back kills, leading to a 6-1 run in their favor.

USHP maintained a lead of up to five points through the set's middle phases until Ginnings' coverage and a huge block from Kix Ferrell sparked the Phoenix, initiating a 4-1 run to level the playing field.

The teams battled closely and reached a 21-21 deadlock. The Eutectics surged ahead with a trio of kills from their front row, ultimately claiming a 25-21 victory with a Phoenix mishit.

Set two began with both teams' outside attackers setting a competitive tone with an exchange of untouched bouncer swings. The frame unfolded into a heated exchange of scrappy defense and sharp cut swings.

The battle led to a 27-27 tie with all-out team efforts on both sides. Similar to the first set's end, the Eutectics closed the frame with a kill and an attacking error from CU.

In the third frame, a neck-and-neck race ensued. Tied at 17-17, Whyte's serving forced the Eutectics into multiple out-of-system plays, resulting in three consecutive attacking errors. The Eutectics, trailing 20-17, regrouped in a timeout.

The break disrupted Cumberland's flow, allowing the Eutectics to level the score 22-22. Consecutive tool swings from Illic set Cumberland up with set point, and Whyte secured a 25-23 victory with a kill.

The Eutectics started the second set with a trio of swings, but the Phoenix responded with a 7-1 run to take a two-point lead. The set unfolded into a tightly contested battle, with the Eutectics answering all of CU's runs. Despite a 25-25 tie, consecutive kills from Connor Behymer ended the game with the Eutectics on top.