DANVILLE, Ky. – The Centre volleyball team won its fourth straight game as they swept the first doubleheader of this weekend's Colonel Invitational. After taking a five-set thriller over Wittenberg, the Colonels knocked off Denison in three sets to complete the sweep.
 
Game 1: Centre 3, Wittenberg 2
 
- The opening set was back and forth the whole with neither team leading by more than five. After several lead changes, the visiting Tigers broke a 20-20 tie with five of the last seven points to take a 25-22 win.
- In the second set, Wittenberg used two separate runs of 6-0 to take a commanding lead and then fought off a late Centre charge to win 25-18.
- With their backs against the wall, the Colonels battled the Tigers into extra points in the third set following multiple lead changes in the late stages. Facing a match point at 24-23, Centre tied the game and then took the lead on a tandem block by Abby Swartz and Isabel Thornton. The Tigers forced another match point at 26-25, but then Syd Bietz and Brooke Palmer delivered consecutive kills to help Centre hold on for a 28-26 win to extend the match.
- Now with momentum, Centre had to battle from behind in the fourth set after digging an early 7-1 hole. The Colonels used a 4-0 run midway through to take the lead and never looked back as they scored the last three points to win 25-21 and push the match to the limit.
- In the fifth set, Centre took command early with five straight points, including two aces from Emily Goddin. The Tigers pulled to within a point, but that was as close as they got as the Colonels got the win with a 15-13 victory.
 
Game 2: Centre 3, Denison 0
 
- Centre got off to a hotter start to open their second match of the night, grabbing the early lead and never trailing as Goddin put home the clinching kill on a 25-17 victory for the Colonels.
- In the second set, the score was tied a 5-5 before Centre exploded for a 13-3 run to blow it open. The Colonels cruised from there, with Bietz sealing the deal on a 25-14 win with the last kill.
- The third set was the closest of the match as the Big Red battled back from an early deficit to tie the score at 23-23. Consecutive kills from Bietz and Swartz put the finishing touches on a 25-23 win and the sweep for the Colonels.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORES
 
- Bietz finished with a career high 24 kills in the win over Wittenberg, the most by any player in the Pat Robidoux era for Centre volleyball. She also hit .321 in the victory. Against Denison, Thornton led the way with a dozen kills on an outstanding .526 hitting percentage.
- Emily Gardner combined for 61 assists and 28 digs across the doubleheader.
- Four different Centre players reached double digits in digs against Wittenberg as the Colonels finished with 83 for the match.
 
NEXT UP
 
Centre volleyball will wrap up the Colonel Invitational with another doubleheader against Millikin and Otterbein on Saturday.