Indiana Tech Takes Its Final Pool Play Match in Five Sets

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa [BOX SCORE] - Indiana Tech Warriors outlasted Campbellsville (Ky.) Tigers in a five-set thriller Wednesday afternoon at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, pulling the upset 3–2 (15–25, 25–17, 25–19, 18–25, 15–12) despite entering with a 23–10 record against a Campbellsville team that came in 28–3.

The match flipped immediately after a Campbellsville opening-set statement. The Tigers hit a blistering .520 in set one behind 14 kills and just one error on 25 swings, racing to a 25–15 win while Indiana Tech struggled to find rhythm, hitting .158 with seven errors. From there, though, Indiana Tech responded with its cleanest set of the day in set two, posting a .480 hitting percentage (13 kills, one error) to even the match at a set apiece, 25–17. Set three continued that momentum as Indiana Tech stayed efficient at .333 and controlled the middle stages to take a 25–19 lead in the match.

Campbellsville refused to fold, using a steadier sideout game in the fourth to force a decider. After dipping to .062 in set two and .172 in set three, the Tigers improved to .269 in set four and won 25–18, setting up a tense fifth. In the final set, Indiana Tech delivered one more efficiency spike, hitting .412 (nine kills, two errors) while Campbellsville hit .208, and the Warriors closed out the upset 15–12.

Indiana Tech’s win was powered by a balanced attack and a big right-side presence. Kristian Kold led all Warriors with 19 kills on 36 swings and just two errors, hitting an outstanding .472, while Dylan Poore added 17 kills and finished with 20.5 points, also contributing an ace and five block assists. Setter Nolan Bosley directed the offense with 48 assists and chipped in 11 digs, helping Indiana Tech finish at .289 as a team compared with Campbellsville’s .235. At the net, Logan Gamero was a difference-maker with nine block assists and 10.5 points, and Indiana Tech totaled 28 team blocks (1 solo, 27 assists), doubling Campbellsville’s 15 (1 solo, 14 assists) in a match where the margins were thin.

For Campbellsville, Savvas Christou carried the heaviest load, producing 19 kills on 41 attempts, while Ayoub Hamadache added 15 kills. Camilo Fernandez was efficient with six kills and no errors on 13 swings (.462), and setter Alonzo Vega posted 47 assists while also helping defensively with 12 digs. The Tigers actually out-dug Indiana Tech 49–41, with Andrew Ovalle leading the way with 22, but Indiana Tech’s edge in blocking and its ability to win sets two, three, and five with higher offensive efficiency ultimately decided the match.

Indiana Tech closes out pool play 1-1 and awaits the result of Thursday's Pool D match, where Campbellsville (Ky.) will take on Missouri Valley to determine who advances to the semifinals. Should Missouri Valley win, they will advance to the semifinal, however, if Campbellsville wins, the teams will play out a tiebreak Friday morning to determine who will advance. More on tiebreak scenarios, CLICK HERE