ROME, Ga. – Centre volleyball made program history on Saturday afternoon as they knocked off the no. 5 Berry Vikings in a dramatic five-set thriller. It was the highest ranked team Centre has ever beaten in volleyball and snapped a 13-match winning streak for Berry and a conference winning streak for the Vikings that stretched all the way to September of 2021.
 
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
 
- Centre took the first three points of the contest and gradually extended the lead to 16-11 before Berry rallied with a 9-1 run to go in front. The Colonels collected themselves and scored six of the next seven points to retake the lead as Ally Knueven and Josie Grace-Mudd each delivered two kills in the rally. Berry tied the game at 23-23, but Isabel Thornton and Emily Sullivan came through with consecutive kills to get the 25-23 win and put Centre up 1-0.
- The second set was a close one all the way, with neither team leading by more than four at any point. A late run of three straight by the Colonels forced a set point at 24-22, but Berry fought off and evened the score at 24-24. Sullivan blasted another clutch kill to force another set point, and then Lily Hendricks made an incredible dig that landed in the Vikings' field of play, resulting in the winning kill on a 26-24 victory for the Colonels.
- The Vikings scored the first five points of the third set and never trailed as they fended off a late Centre rally to win by a score of 25-21 to extend the match.
- In the fourth set, Centre held the early lead and kept it at 17-13 until the Vikings came back with a 6-0 burst to go back on top for good. The Colonels could only manage three points the rest of the way as Berry won 25-20 to push the match to the limit.
- With all the momentum on their side, the Vikings quickly jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the fifth set. The Colonels chipped away at the lead and trailed 11-9 before saving their best for last. Sullivan's kill cut the deficit in half. Emily Goddin tied the game at 11-11 with a kill, and then teamed with Thornton on a block to put Centre back in the lead. Goddin and Thornton then delivered back to back kills to give Centre its first match point. The Colonels capitalized on the match point as Goddin and Sullivan made a tandem block to complete the victory for the Colonels with a 15-11 win.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
 
- The Colonels' 65 kills were a season high as they averaged 13 per set. Rookies Sullivan and Knueven delivered career highs in kills with respective totals of 18 and 17.
- Goddin added nine kills and paced the Colonels with four blocks.
- Emily Gardner led the Colonels with 35 assists, with Meredith Phillips adding 17 in Centre's two-setter rotation.
- Madi Barron led five Centre players with double digit digs, finishing with 19. Gardner finished with 16, Thornton with 14, Hendricks with 13 and June Padilla with 12 as the Colonels held an 82-79 advantage.
 
NEXT UP
 
Centre volleyball will return to action on Oct. 15 as they come back to Alumni Gym for a Homecoming Saturday matchup with Millsaps.