COLUMBIA, Mo.--Cumberland women's volleyball picked up a sweep over Central Methodist and survived a frantic comeback attempt from St. Ambrose for a five-set win to start the Hampton Inn Classic a perfect 2-0.
Cumberland women's volleyball turned in its most efficient offensive performance of the young season Friday afternoon, sweeping Central Methodist in straight sets, 25-20, 25-8, 25-18.
The Phoenix dominated the Eagles at the net and from the service line. Cumberland finished with 44 kills against just 13 errors on 83 swings for a .373 hitting percentage. Central Methodist was held to a .103 clip with 20 kills. The Phoenix also held advantages in aces, 9-4, blocks, 7-2, and digs, 43-26.
Bianca Guceanu led a balanced Cumberland attack with 12 kills while committing just two errors on 18 attempts for a .556 hitting percentage. Jacey Hubbell added nine kills and hit .467, while Carola Schnidrig finished with eight kills, six service aces and a team-high 12 digs. Hailey Jones added five kills on eight swings and three total blocks, while Liberty Shadix recorded six kills and four blocks.
Carlee Rogers directed the offense with 33 assists to go along with 10 digs, three kills and an ace. Kaleigh Glass chipped in nine digs as the Phoenix collected 43 as a team.
Central Methodist jumped out to a 5-1 advantage in the opening set before Cumberland settled in. The Phoenix used a four-point run to draw even at 5-5 and took their first lead at 7-6. Cumberland began to create separation midway through the frame, stretching a 14-12 advantage into a 22-15 lead. The Eagles made a late push, but Cumberland closed out the set 25-20.
The Phoenix were nearly unstoppable offensively in the second set, hitting .524 with 14 kills and only three errors. With Cumberland leading 6-4, Schnidrig stepped to the service line and sparked a decisive run. The Phoenix rattled off 12 consecutive points, with Schnidrig recording four aces during the stretch and Guceanu supplying four kills. The run pushed the lead to 18-4, and Cumberland never looked back on its way to a commanding 25-8 win.
Central Methodist stayed close early in the third as the teams were tied five times through a 7-7 score. Cumberland responded with three straight points and gradually built its advantage. Leading 15-13, Schnidrig again provided a spark from the service line, delivering back-to-back aces before Guceanu followed with consecutive kills to make it 19-13. The Eagles pulled back within 19-17, but Cumberland answered by taking six of the final seven points to finish the sweep, 25-18.
Cumberland hit .462 in the opening set and .524 in the second before finishing the match at .373, while holding Central Methodist below .130 in all three frames.
Cumberland capped the day with a furious comeback against St. Ambrose on Friday night, bouncing back in the decisive fifth set to earn a 3-2 victory and complete a perfect opening day.
The Phoenix (4-2) won the first two sets, 25-14 and 25-19, before St. Ambrose responded with 25-21 and 25-22 victories to force a fifth. Cumberland took control of the deciding frame and rolled to a 15-6 win to secure its second victory of the day.
Cumberland finished with 56 kills and a .278 hitting percentage while posting 15 service aces and eight blocks. The Phoenix held St. Ambrose to a .179 attacking percentage and forced 26 attack errors.
Jacey Hubbell paced the Cumberland attack with 15 kills on 28 swings, hitting .393.
Carola Schnidrig added 12 kills, four aces and a team-high 15 digs, while
Bianca Guceanu finished with nine kills and hit .320.
Liberty Shadix posted seven kills on a .417 hitting percentage with three blocks, and
Hailey Jones contributed six kills and three blocks.
Carlee Rogers filled the stat sheet with 40 assists, seven kills, three aces and two blocks.
Kaleigh Glass added 14 digs and two aces, while
Emma Chavers collected eight digs.
The teams traded points early in the opening set before Cumberland began to pull away. With the Phoenix leading 13-11, Cumberland scored eight of the next nine points to build a 21-12 advantage.
AJ Bryant helped fuel the run from the service line with two aces, while the Phoenix offense continued to find success at the net. Cumberland hit .448 with 16 kills in the frame and closed it out 25-14.
Cumberland carried the momentum into the second set, jumping ahead 7-2. St. Ambrose battled back to tie the frame at 12-12, but the Phoenix answered immediately. Cumberland regained the lead and later used a 4-0 run to turn a 19-17 advantage into a 23-17 cushion before Hubbell delivered two of the final three Cumberland points to finish the set, 25-19. The Phoenix hit .385 in the frame to take a commanding 2-0 match lead.
St. Ambrose refused to go quietly. The Fighting Bees opened the third set with a 7-1 run before Cumberland fought all the way back to even the score at 8-8. The set remained tight from there, but St. Ambrose created separation late and took the frame 25-21.
The fourth was even tighter with 11 ties and seven lead changes. Cumberland held a 17-15 advantage before St. Ambrose answered with four straight points and eventually forced the fifth set with a 25-22 victory.
After falling behind 2-0 in the fifth, Cumberland quickly regained control. Rogers put down a kill before Glass tied the set with an ace. With the score even at 4-4, Rogers delivered three consecutive service aces to ignite a 6-0 run and give the Phoenix a 10-4 advantage.
Cumberland continued to pull away, scoring 11 of the final 13 points. Shadix and Hubbell combined for a block to make it 13-6 before Guceanu finished the match with a kill for the 15-6 victory. Cumberland did not commit an attack error in the final set, hitting .400.
The win capped a 2-0 day for Cumberland after the Phoenix swept Central Methodist earlier Friday. Cumberland will close out the Hampton Inn Classic tomorrow by taking on the host Columbia College and Tabor College.
