October 11, 2022

by Dustin Semore, Sports Information Director

HENDERSON, Tenn. — Freed-Hardeman University's volleyball squad traveled eastward to Lebanon where they had a Mid-South Conference matchup with the Cumberland (Tenn.) University Phoenix. Despite the Lady Lions keeping each set close, the Phoenix came away with the 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-23) victory.

It was a good start for Freed-Hardeman (11-10, 3-6 MSC) who followed a Jayden Watkins kill with a pair of service aces from the hand of Avery Harris. From there, the Phoenix front row tightened up and recorded back-to-back blocks to take a 16-13 lead. FHU did their best to answer, but Cumberland kept the Lady Lions at arm's length to take the 25-19 set win.

For Freed-Hardeman and Cumberland (14-5, 7-3 MSC), the beginning of the second set was spent in serve-receive practice with five of the first 10 combined points of the set coming from either service aces or service errors. Cumberland held the upper hand for the majority of the set, sitting on set point at 24-14. Undeterred, the Lady Lions rattled off five successive points before the Phoenix tallied the 25th point to win the set 25-19.

Battling to the very end, FHU and CU found themselves knotted up 15-15 in the third set with the Lady Lions hoping to avoid a sweep. An Ann Elise Jackson block with Cumberland on match point kept the FHU hopes alive, but an answering block by the Phoenix ended the match with a 25-23 third set. 

Three Lady Lions posted their team's highest kill total with Jayden Watkins' seven kills matched by Kacey Donegan and a season-high from Avery Young. Allie Humphry pulled up her season's highest total of 12 digs while Adleigh Mayes led the Lady Lions with 13 assists. Avery Harris stood firm at the net, stuffing five of the Lady Lions' eight blocks.

Up Next

The Lady Lions finally wrap up their four-match road trip by returning to Henderson to face former TranSouth and American Midwest Conference rivals Lyon (Ark.) College on Thursday, October 13 beginning at 7:00 p.m.