SEWANEE, Tenn. – Centre volleyball hit the road for a midweek conference showdown against the Sewanee Tigers. In an extremely close match, the Colonels came from behind to push the match to the brink and take it in five behind an unforgettable night from a rookie.
 
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
 
- The opening set saw Sewanee grab the early lead and keep it, as Centre managed to tie the score, but never pulled out in front in a 25-20 victory for the Tigers.
- In the second set, Sewanee took an early 10-6 lead before Centre used a 5-0 run to take the lead and prompt a timeout. From there the set set stayed close until first-year Syd Bietz took over with four clutch kills and a block down the stretch. An ace by Madi Barron was the capper on a 26-24 Centre victory that tied the score.
- The third set was close the entire way, with multiple lead changes and ties. Both teams fought off set points as it went into extra points, but the Tigers prevailed 27-25 to go up 2-1 in the match.
- The fourth set played out at a similar pace as the second, with Sewanee taking an early lead before Centre rallied, setting off a close one the rest of the way. Bietz delivered three straight kills in the closing moments, with Mack Turner and Isabel Thornton putting home the final kills in a 25-22 win to extend the match to a fith set.
- A 4-0 start for Sewanee swung the momentum of the match in the opposite direction, but the Colonels slowly chipped away at the lead and pulled ahead and extended to a four-point lead of their own at 13-9. The Tigers scored the next three, but Bietz once again came through in the clutch, delivering consecutive kills to secure the win for the Colonels.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
 
- Bietz made program history with 31 kills in the win, the most by a Centre player since volleyball became a varsity sport in the early 1990s. Emily Goddin and Brooke Palmer finished with ten kills each.
- Another shattered career high belonged to Emily Gardner, who finished with 60 assists for a new top mark, while also adding 14 digs and five kills from her setter position.
- Centre finished with 88 digs on the night. Madi Barron led all players with 27 digs, while Gardner, Madi Winfield and June Padilla each finished in double figures.
 
NEXT UP
 
The Colonels will return to action with a weekend doubleheader at home, beginning with a Friday match against Hendrix.