COLUMBIA, Mo. – Columbia College volleyball put the finishing touches on a perfect weekend Saturday, sweeping (RV) Cumberland in the morning and then grinding out a four-set win over Central Methodist to close the Hampton Inn Volleyball Classic at 4-0.
Cumberland never really found its footing against the Cougars, who hit .310 for the match and never trailed by more than a point or two. Columbia rolled through the first set 25-17 and had to work a little harder in the second, holding off a late rally to win it 25-23 before finishing the job 25-16 in the third set. Rowan Carr led a balanced attack with nine kills, Isabella Kincaid added eight, and Viola Giangreco was nearly unstoppable, hitting .500 with six kills. Alayna Backes chipped in three kills to go with four block assists, and the Cougars split setting duties between Hannah Vogt (16) and Alexa Olson (12), who combined for 28 assists. Taylor Johnson paced the defense with 15 digs.
Game two against Central Methodist was a different story. Columbia jumped out to a two-set lead, but the Eagles refused to go away, digging in for a wild third set that saw the two teams trade the lead down the stretch before Central Methodist finally pulled it out, 26-24. That set the stage for a tense fourth, and the Cougars answered, pulling away late for a 25-20 win to seal the sweep. Isabella Kincaid was the difference-maker with 13 kills and a match-high 16 points, and Alayna Backes was right there with her, racking up 12 kills and 15 points of her own. Rowan Carr added nine more kills and Viola Giangreco continued her strong tournament with eight. Vogt and Olson finished with 23 assists each, while Taylor Johnson had a match-high 27 digs.
Cumberland Match Leaders
Central Methodist Match Leaders
