LEBANON, Tenn.-- Cumberland men's volleyball put up a strong fight against No. 7 Georgetown, narrowly missing a victory but making an impressive stride by taking two sets off the Tigers for the first time in program history.

Despite their efforts, the Phoenix fell just short of a win against the solid top-10 team. Georgetown led in attacking with 59 total kills, ten more than Cumberland, and maintained control of the net with ten blocks compared to Cumberland's three.

Cumberland led on the defensive end with 37 digs, 17 of which were picked up by Caleb Ginnings. 

Jacob Whyte led all attackers with 18 kills, grabbing swings from the front and back row. Luka Ilic and Kix Ferrell added ten and eight kills, respectively. Austin Smalley had six from the middle, four of which came in the exciting fourth frame, on .417% attacking. 

The opening frame saw the teams trading points and vying for control, staying within three points of one another for much of the contest. Georgetown made a decisive push towards the end of the set, ultimately giving them the game's early advantage.

Trailing by two points, a kill from Whyte sparked a strong serving performance from Luka Ilic, who delivered back-to-back aces, giving the Phoenix an 11-9 lead.
Although a kill from Tyree Wesley briefly halted Cumberland's momentum, the Phoenix quickly regained control with a series of kills to keep their two-point distance.
Despite Cumberland's efforts to keep Georgetown's offense out of system, the Tigers' front line capitalized on unexpected sets and second-ball attacking opportunities. While both teams were evenly matched in terms of kills and errors for most of the set, Georgetown's attackers took charge in the final moments.

The Tigers finished the set with a six-point unanswered run, hitting an impressive .480% to secure a 25-19 victory.

The Phoenix staged a strong comeback in set two, finishing with .320% attacking while the Tigers more than doubled their error count. This marked a significant achievement for the team, as they secured their first set victory against the historically strong Georgetown program, breaking a streak of 21 straight sets lost to the team.

The turning point came at a 5-5 tie in set two when Kix Ferrell delivered a sharp ten-footer, setting up Whyte for four consecutive serves that gave the Phoenix a four-point advantage.

Cumberland extended their lead to five with three kills from Whyte on the right side before the Tigers regrouped during a timeout.

Georgetown capitalized on an immediate missed serve from Cumberland, leveraging it for back-to-back kills from Gunn. However, their momentum was short-lived as attacking errors plagued the Tigers towards the end of the set.

A kill from Ferrell on the outside, followed by an illegal attack from Georgetown's back row, sealed the set for the Phoenix at 25-21.

Georgetown's attackers dominated the third set, notching an impressive 15 kills without committing a single error, leading to a fantastic team attack percentage of .625%. 

Despite Cumberland showing glimpses of momentum, they struggled to contain Georgetown's determined front row. The Tigers regained the game's advantage with a convincing 25-13 win.
 
The beginning of the fourth set mirrored the first, with both teams exchanging strikes and making their fair share of errors.

At a 13-13 tie, Austin Smalley's mix of deep swings and well-placed tips led to four consecutive kills, igniting a newfound excitement in the Cumberland team. This run gave the Phoenix the momentum they needed to finish strong, as they made excellent defensive reads to counter Georgetown's attacks.

Cumberland finished the set with 15 kills, six more than their opponent, with a .250% attacking rate, forcing a fifth and deciding set with a score of 25-21.
In the fifth set, Cumberland struggled to execute offensively in the early points, falling behind 6-3 before calling a timeout.

Despite the timeout, Georgetown maintained their momentum, scoring the next three points with two kills and a block. From there, the Tigers dominated the set, committing just one error at the net while Cumberland was held back with seven total. 

A final kill from Tyree Wesley concluded the set at 15-6 in favor of Georgetown.

Cumberland will return to the Dallas Floyd Phoenix Arena on Saturday, March 23, for another conference matchup against Rio Grande.