LEXINGTON, Ky. – Centre volleyball continued its strong start to the 2024 season with a pair of victories in the Transylvania Classic. After coming from behind to defeat Illinois College in five sets, the Colonels defeated the no. 19 Transylvania Pioneers in three extremely close sets, marking the first win for Centre over their in-state rivals since the 2016 season.
 
Game 1: Centre 3, Illinois College 2
 
- The opening set of the contest belonged to the Lady Blues of Illinois College, who broke open a close one around the midway point of the set and controlled things from then on, winning by a score of 25-14.
- The Colonels held a small lead for the majority of the second set as they looked to even the match. The Blues again took over halfway through the set and took at 21-18 lead before Centre forced a timeout with three straight points. From there, the two teams traded the next few points until Centre scored the final three to win 25-23, capped off by an ace from Emily Gardner.
- The third set was the closest of the match, with neither team able to create much of a cushion. The Colonels grabbed a 23-21 lead before the Blues reeled off three straight to force a set point. Centre fought that one off to tie it at 24-24, but Illinois College scored the next two to take a 2-1 lead with a 26-24 win.
- Centre battled from behind for a majority of the fourth set before firing back to take the lead at 18-17. The Blues tied the score twice after that, but the Colonels never relinquished the lead, scoring the last four points to push the match to its limit with a 25-20 victory as Allu Knueven put home the clinching kill.
- The score was tied at 6-6 in the fifth set, but the Colonels slowly began to pull away after that as they grabbed the lead and never looked back, eventually winning 15-9 as Syd Bietz blocked the final scoring attempt to secure the match victory.
 
Game 2: Centre 3, #19 Transylvania 0
 
- Neither team was able to gain a large edge for most of the opening set until Centre opened things up with an 8-2 spurt. Transylvania scored six in a row to tie it up at 21-21, and the two teams alternated the next seven points before a kill from Bietz gave the Colonels a hard-fought 26-24 win.
- In the second set, both teams used nice runs to keep the other from breaking it open in a replay of the second set. This one once again went down to the wire as the Pioneers rallied to force a 20-20 tie. After that, Centre grabbed a slight advantage and pulled off the 25-23 victory as Emily Goddin delivered the final two kills for the Colonels.
- The third set brought more of the same. Centre scored the first five points of the frame before Transylvania regrouped and again made it an extremely close match. A Bietz kill forced the first match point of the night, but Transy fought it off and scored again, forcing a set point as they looked to extend the fight. After a Centre timeout, SAA Offensive Player of the Week Mack Turner tied the score at 25-25 with a kill. A Pioneer attack sailed out of bounds for another Centre match point and Goddin came through with the final kill to give Centre a 27-25 victory.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORES
 
- Bietz led all players with 16 kills against Illinois College. Turner added a dozen kills, while Knueven and Hollye Tate each finished with ten. Against Transylvania, Bietz and Tate tied for a game high with ten kills.
- Gardner finished with a game high 47 kills against Illinois College, four more than the Blues had as a team. She finished with 30 more assists in the win over Transy to go along with a career high five aces.
- SAA Defensive Player of the Week Madi Barron hit a season high with 30 digs in the win over Illinois College, with Gardner adding a dozen as Centre held a 71-68 advantage in digs. Against Transy it was a balanced effort at Barron and Amery Galan each led the Colonels with 12 digs, followed by Gardner and Madi Winfield with ten each.
 
NEXT UP
 
The Colonels will conclude play at the Transylvania Classic on Saturday as they face another ranked opponent, the no. 23 Covenant Scots.