WILMORE, Ky. – Centre volleyball opened its 2026 campaign on the road as the Colonels made the short trip to take on the Asbury Eagles. Every set was highly competitive, with one reaching extra points, but all three went to Centre as they pulled off a 3-0 sweep.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
- The Colonels got off to a hot start in the opening set as they reeled off 12 of the first 15 points to take an early nine-point advantage. Asbury began to slowly chip away at the lead, but Centre had an answer for every rally. The Eagles cut the deficit to two points in the final moments, but kills from
Elise Grundy and
Syd Bietz gave the Colonels a 25-21 victory.
- In the second set, Asbury grabbed the early advantage and went up by as many as six points at 15-9. Trailing 18-14,
Kendra Christopher put together a run of a kill and three consecutive aces to tie the score. As the set advanced into extra points, the Colonels fought off three separate set points. Bietz tied the score at 29-29, and following an Asbury miscue, the senior All-American delivered an ace to seal a 31-29 win for the Colonels.
- The third set featured multiple lead changes and ties in the early stages before Centre scored four in a row to go up 12-10. Another 4-0 run gave the Colonels a cushion as Asbury got no closer than three points the rest of the way, with Bietz putting home the final kill on a 25-21 Centre win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Bietz tied for a game high with 14 kills.
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Elle B Smith had an excellent collegiate debut as she led the Colonels with 23 assists and 12 digs.
- Centre and Asbury were evenly matched on the stat sheet in nearly every category, but the Colonels enjoyed a 10-3 advantage in aces, led by Christopher with five.
NEXT UP
The Colonels will hit the road again this weekend for three tournament games in Kenosha, Wisc., beginning with a matchup at Carthage on Sept. 4.
