PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Aggie volleyball team split their final day at the Pittsburg State Gorilla Classic on Saturday, falling to Christian Brothers 3-2, but bouncing back for their first sweep of 2018 with a win over Chadron state later in the day.
The match between Christian Brothers and the Aggies was evenly match with each team totaling 56 assists and five service aces, while CBU had just one more block than CU. Both teams had an attack percentage of .270, but the Lady Bucs saved their best for last, hitting .375 in the fifth set, while Cameron hit .150.
Set one was back and forth until a four point run by CBU gave them a 17-11 advantage that would give them the cushion to close of the game 25-18. Cameron bounced back in set two, using a pair of four point rallies to even the match with a 25-22 win. They carried that momentum into the third set, winning that game 25-20.
Up 2-1, the Aggies looked to have their second win of the season, leading set four 24-20 late. However, CBU had other ideas and scored six straight to force a fifth set. Cameron battled in the final set, but the efficient attack of the Bucs was too much as they closed out the match on another four point run, taking the set 15-12 and the match 3-2.
Ashleigh McFatridge led CU with 14 kills while hitting .417 on the attack, while
Paige Dixon had 13 kills and
Brandy Carr had 11.
Katherine Manning continued to increase her career-high assist mark with 35 in the match to go along with 13 digs.
Brittnee Altic added 16 digs, while Dixon, Carr, and McFatridge combined for 11 block assists.
Against Chadron State, Cameron earned their first sweep victory of the 2018 season, using a season best .310 attack percentage to take down the opposition. CU also won the battle at the net six blocks to one, while not allowing CSU to hit over .225 in the match.
The Aggies fell behind by a small margin early in set one, but a run of seven straight points point them on top by three and set them up to battle for the 25-23 set win. The second set was all Black and Gold, with them taking a 5-1 lead early and carrying that momentum into a 25-18 victory. The Eagles didn't make it easy for CU to get the sweep as the two teams went back and forth in the third frame. However, the Aggies closed out the set on an 8-3 run to record the win.
Brittany Lawson led the way for the Black and Gold in the final match of the weekend, recording 11 kills and 12 digs while hitting .333. Dixon and Carr each had nine kills, while Carr added five blocks, giving her 21 for the weekend. Manning and
Bailee Smith combined for 37 assists, as Altic had 17 digs against the Eagles.
Cameron ends the Pitt Stat Classic with a 1-3 record and is now 2-7 on the season. Their next match will be against Southern Nazarene in a non-conference road contest on Tuesday, Sep. 4.
