Cumberland went the distance in a thrilling five-set battle Tuesday night but came up just short against Lindsey Wilson, falling 25-22, 25-23, 19-25, 20-25, 13-15 inside the Dallas Floyd Phoenix Arena.
Cumberland finished with 51 kills, hitting .126 as a team, while also totaling nine blocks and 89 digs. The Phoenix limited Lindsey Wilson to a .099 hitting percentage but gave up 12 service aces to the Blue Raiders’ aggressive serving. Both teams combined for 60 attack errors in a defensive grind that featured long rallies and high-energy play from start to finish.
Individually, Lila Cade paced the Phoenix with nine kills, 17 digs and two blocks, while Hazel Konkel was dominant in the middle with nine kills on .421 hitting and three blocks. Alei Roper also notched nine kills with three blocks, and freshman Jacey Hubbell of Wilson Central added nine kills and two blocks. Freshman Carlee Rogers posted a double-double with 21 assists and 16 digs, and Emma Carter added 22 assists and 10 digs to balance the offense. Mt. Juliet senior Morgan Snead anchored the back row with 21 digs, and Kaleigh Glass chipped in 15 digs and two aces.
Lindsey Wilson was led by Ola Wyrzykowska, who tallied a match-high 16 kills along with two service aces and nine digs. Setter Luiza Goncalves was a key factor, recording 30 assists, eight kills, and 11 digs for a near triple-double. Brooke Robinson added 13 kills and 15 digs, while libero Momo Hampton led all players with 25 digs and three aces.
The Phoenix came out focused in the opening set, hitting .154 while holding the Blue Raiders to a negative attack percentage. Cumberland’s steady play and defensive effort paid off in the closing stretch as they held off a late push to take the first set, 25-22.
Cumberland carried that energy into the second frame, once again keeping the Blue Raider offense in check. The Phoenix posted 12 kills with only four errors to go up 2-0 in the match after a 25-23 win, putting them in full control.
Lindsey Wilson responded after the break, finding rhythm offensively to hit .258 in the third set. The Blue Raiders limited Cumberland to just eight kills and trimmed the Phoenix lead with a 25-19 victory.
Momentum stayed on the visitors’ side in the fourth, as Lindsey Wilson’s serving and defense disrupted Cumberland’s attack. The Phoenix committed 10 errors in the frame, and the Blue Raiders capitalized to even the match with a 25-20 win.
The deciding fifth set was as close as the match had been throughout. Both teams traded points until we swapped sides. From there, Lindsey went on a spurt to get up 13-9. However, Cumberland rallied to tie it at 13-13 before Lindsey Wilson managed to string together the final plays it needed, edging out the Phoenix 15-13 to secure the 3-2 victory.
The Phoenix (23-11, 5-4 Mid-South Conference) will look to regroup and build on the effort as their next match is Tuesday at Georgetown.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.