Cumberland Women's Volleyball Falls to Conference Leader Cumberlands but Builds Momentum Toward Tournament
LEBANON, TN - Bianca Guceanu recorded 11 kills on a .409 hitting percentage, yet Cumberland University could not contain University of the Cumberlands’ efficient attack Tuesday evening, falling in straight sets 25-21, 25-17, 25-16 at Dallas Floyd Phoenix Arena.
The Phoenix finished with a 42-36 edge in kills but committed 21 attack errors to hit just .193. Cumberland totaled 40 assists, 45 digs, five blocks and two service aces. Nine service errors, however, helped the Patriots create separation throughout the match.
Guceanu led the Phoenix offense with 11 kills against only two errors on 22 swings. Carlee Rogers added eight kills, 16 assists and nine digs, while Liberty Shadix delivered seven kills on a .500 hitting percentage along with five digs and a team-high four blocks. Carola Schnidrig contributed seven kills and nine digs, and Jacey Hubbell finished with five kills.
Emma Chavers paced the setters with 20 assists, Kaleigh Glass matched Rogers and Schnidrig with nine digs, and Nisan Ozdogan accounted for both of Cumberland’s service aces.
Cumberlands hit a crisp .333 with 36 kills and only six attack errors on 90 attempts. The Patriots collected 33 assists, 39 digs, eight blocks and six service aces. Sara Zampedri led all players with 15 kills and eight digs while hitting .308. Brynnley Bryant added nine kills without an error on 18 attempts for a .500 clip and nine digs. Savanah Jolly distributed 26 assists and served two aces, while Martina Frangella paced the Patriots at the net with five blocks.
Cumberland erased an early 10-7 deficit in the opening set with five consecutive points, capped by an Ozdogan ace that put the Phoenix ahead 12-10. The home team maintained a narrow lead through the middle of the set before the Patriots answered with four straight points, including back-to-back Zampedri kills, to seize a 21-18 advantage and close out the 25-21 win.
In the second set, Cumberland jumped ahead 5-2, but Cumberlands responded to tie the score and later pulled away with a 7-1 closing run for the 25-17 victory despite seven kills from Guceanu in the frame. The third set followed a similar pattern: Cumberland built an early lead, rallied to cut a deficit to 13-12, but could not sustain the momentum as the Patriots closed on a strong stretch to complete the sweep, 25-16.
Head coach Vadakin acknowledged the challenge of facing a consistent, stable conference leader while emphasizing the team’s growth. “The Cumberlands are always good competition. They’re consistent and very stable,” Vadakin said. “Our game plan was to remain consistent and capitalize on spaces they don’t cover. We’ve worked a lot on shot choices, first touch, serve receive and serving so our offense can work well. Our middles have done a really nice job over the last week of becoming better options in transition.”
With the Phoenix sitting in third place and three conference games remaining against Georgetown, Campbellsville and Freed-Hardeman, the focus remains on finishing as high as possible. “The goal is to try and finish second,” Vadakin said. “If we can beat Campbellsville, it would come down to a tie-breaking scenario. In the Mid-South Conference, the top four teams are usually a bloodbath coming into the end. We’re just going to take it a game at a time and control what we can control.”
Vadakin expressed pride in the group’s trajectory and character. “If the girls continue to show their desire to grow and get better, I think we have a good chance. They’re a high-IQ group. From a growth perspective, I’ve seen them on an upward trajectory all season. Serving has gotten better, serve receive is more bought in, and the middles have worked hard. They’re a great group of women—very caring, very kind, with a lot of grit. It’s them versus everyone else. There’s not a lot of divide in the group.”
The Phoenix return to action Friday at Georgetown with a 6 p.m. first serve as they continue building toward postseason play.
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