Men's Volleyball | 4/19/2025 11:23:32 PM

GEORGETOWN, Ky. - For fifteen sets during the 2025 season, almost nothing separated Georgetown and Campbellsville. 

Each team won on the other's home floor during the regular season, and the sets of Tigers split the first four sets of Saturday afternoon's River States Conference championship match at Great Crossing High School in Georgetown. 

The fifth set, the one to decide the first ever RSC men's volleyball champion, was no different. Both teams had championship point during the final frame.

But on the fourth championship point of the set, it was Georgetown that came through, as the defending national champions punched their ticket back to Cedar Rapids with a five-set victory over Campbellsville, 22-25, 25-13, 25-23, 23-25, 18-16.

Campbellsville controlled much of the first set, claiming a 25-22 decision. Georgetown then flipped the script in the second set, hitting .429 as a team en route to a 25-13 victory. The orange Tigers then moved one set away from a conference title, winning four of the final six points of the third set in a 25-23 victory.

Georgetown looked to be within striking distance of the title in the fourth, jumping out to a 5-1 lead and holding a 20-18 edge late in the frame. However, Campbellsville rallied to force a fifth set, winning seven of the final ten points of the set in another 25-23 set decision.

The hosts jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the fifth set, but could not put Campbellsville away. The Tigers stayed close for the entire set, then ripped off four consecutive points to turn a 13-10 deficit into championship point at 14-13. However, Georgetown extended the match on a Michal Bak kill, then gave themselves championship point on another Bak kill.

Campbellsville responded with a block to even the set at 15, but Georgetown had a second championship point following a Campbellsville attack error. The red Tigers again stayed alive on a Denzel Madrigal kill, but that would be the final point of the match from Campbellsville. Georgetown set up a third championship point on a Kristjan Unt kill, then the Freshman of the Year buried another kill to win the title for Georgetown.

Bak led all players with 20 kills, while Ayoube Hamadache led Campbellsville with 19. Both teams relied on one setter, with Finn Heinemann finishing with 57 assists and Alonzo Vega logging 50. On the defensive side, Andrew Ovalle led Campbellsville with 25 digs, while Ben Meyers had 20 for Georgetown.

Georgetown will find out their placement in the NAIA Tournament on Tuesday, when the field is revealed. Campbellsville also awaits their fate, as the Tigers will be in the mix as an at-large selection.