BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Life University (18-13) advanced to the semifinals of the Mid-South Conference Tournament with a thrilling five-set win (25-14, 25-19, 17-25, 23-25, 15-11) over No. 4-seed Cumberlands (14-17) on Thursday.
"This was a great win for our team and Life University," Assistant Coach
Tim Walenga said. "We faced some adversity, but the girls fought their way through it and won a tough five-set match. Now, we have the opportunity to play the No. 1 team in the country in Lindsey Wilson tomorrow in the semi-finals. As a coach and as a player, you relish opportunities like this to compete against the best in your sport. We are looking forward to the challenge."
First Team All-MSC junior Liz Mann paced the squad with a new career-high of 27 kills, as well as 11 digs for a double-double. Additionally, she added three aces and two blocks. Junior Chelsea Hill posted 10 kills, with a block and a dig. Sophomore Amber Harris put up her own double-double with 41 assists and 15 digs, and also an ace.
The Running Eagles looked ready to roll in the opening set as they never trailed and began on a 7-3 run. At its height, Life U pushed the lead out to 10 points at 24-14, and won the set 25-14 on the next serve.
Cumberlands returned the quick start in the second set with a 4-0 opening run. The Running Eagles battled back and tied the set at 11, which was part of a 10-1 run that saw them take a 16-11 lead. From that point, they didn't relinquish the lead and won the set 25-19.
Life U seemed to have lost their mojo in the third set as the Patriots started hot on a 10-3 run. The Running Eagles never quite recovered and cut the lead to its closest at 15-17. UC would go on to take the set 25-17.
The fourth set was much closer than the previous frames. After being down 4-7 early in the set, Life U went on a 6-0 run to take a 10-7 lead. Thanks to a couple more point runs, they were able to hold the lead for most of the set. The Patriots kept chipping away and eventually tied the frame at 18-18. UC forced a fifth set with a 25-23 decision, after finishing with a 4-0 run.
In the fifth and final set, both teams battled back and forth early, with four ties and four lead changes. Down 4-5, the Running Eagles went on a 6-0 run to take a 10-6 lead and never looked back. Cumberlands tried to comeback and cut the lead to 12-11. However, they could not finish the deal as Life U went on a 4-1 run to take the set and the match with a 15-11 decision.
The Running Eagles will be back in action tomorrow, Nov. 10 as they face off against No. 1 Lindsey Wilson in the semifinals of the MSC Tournament at 10:30 ET.
