CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Facing the regular-seaon Mid-South Conference champions, the Freed-Hardeman University Lady Lions took the Campbellsville (Ky.) University Tigers to five sets before falling 3-2 (25-21, 19-25, 25-11, 21-25, 15-9).

Alanys Ruíz Rivera got FHU (13-15, 0-12 MSC) on the board first, but Campbellsvillw would score the next four points. Despite trailing 22-14 late in the set, Ruíz Rivera would spark a run that saw the Lady Lions win the next five rallies to cut into the Tiger lead 22-19. Ann Elise Jackson would team up with Audrey Orton for a block, but Campbellsville tacked on the set-winning points to win the set 25-21.

Taking the fight to Campbellsville (18-10, 11-1 MSC), the battling big cats had a wire-to-wire second set featuring 14 ties and eight lead changes. Tied 15-15, Avery Young slammed home a pair of kills before a Jackson-Ruíz Rivera block set up a Young service ace to see the Lady Lions storm to a 21-15 set lead. The remainder of the set was back-and-forth scoring until FHU hit the required 25 to even the match with a 25-19 set win.

In the third set, CU jumped out to a 6-1 lead before Young tacked on another of her 15 kills. The Tigers would go on a late tear, avenging the second set loss with a 25-11 win to take a 2-1 lead.

It was again a late push by the Lady Lions that kept FHU in the set. After trailing 12-6, Freed-Hardeman would win seven of the next nine rallies to find themselves down by one point at 14-13. A little later, Orton's service ace tied the set 15-15, but Campbellsville pushed points to take a 19-16 lead before the Harris-Ruíz Rivera duo teamed up again to win the next four points and take a 20-19 lead. The Tigers would record hitting errors on three late attacks before Orton's kill forced a decisive fifth set after the 25-21 win.

The Lady Lions had the early advantage in set five, with back-to-back service aces from Orton helping the Lady Lions to a 6-3 lead. The Tigers would bounce back by winning the next six points FHU would not be able to string together a run as the Tigers eked out a match win with the 15-9 set victory.

The Lady Lions were deadly from the service line, collecting 12 service aces.

Alanys Ruíz Rivera and Avery Young had identical double-doubles with the tandem each recording 15 kills and 13 digs. Masey Kate Adams had a double-double with a 16 digs and a team-high 27 assists while Charley Fulton grabbed 25 assists.