Elon University Athletics

ELON – The Elon University volleyball team fell to Campbell in straight sets, 3-0 (25-16, 25-14, 26-24), on Friday evening at Schar Center.
 
The Phoenix moved to 10-13 overall and 7-6 in CAA play, while the Camels improved to 11-11 overall and 7-4 in conference action.
 
Allie Schultz and Cameron Lanier led the Maroon and Gold with seven kills apiece. Schultz added four block assists and three digs, while Lanier finished with five digs and two assists. April Rice went 2-for-2 on attacks and distributed 10 assists, while Kayla Palmer paced the Phoenix with 13 assists and a team-high nine digs.
 
Victoria Tupy led the Camels with 11 kills on a .323 hitting percentage, while Emma McCartney added 10 kills and six digs. Hannah Pattie finished with a match-high 21 assists, and Aubree Fernandez collected 11 digs.
 
THE RUNDOWN

• Elon jumped out to a 4-1 advantage in the opening set behind kills from Catherine Rucker and Anna Sewell and a Campbell attack error. After the Camels tied the frame at 4-all, Elon responded and built its lead back to 10-8 following a Lanier kill and a Rice kill. Campbell then seized control with six unanswered points, turning a 10-9 deficit into a 15-10 advantage at the media timeout. The Camels continued to pull away after the break, extending the margin to 19-11 before Schultz recorded a kill and teamed with Rucker for a block. Campbell closed out the frame with four of the final six points for a 25-16 victory.
• Campbell opened the second set with five consecutive points and extended the advantage to 10-2. Elon answered with a Rucker kill and a Schultz-Berlekamp block during a 4-1 stretch to trim the deficit to 11-6, but the Camels regained control and carried a 15-9 lead into the media timeout. Campbell pushed the margin to 18-9 following three straight points and later built a 22-12 advantage. Schultz recorded a late kill and Caroline Berlekamp added a solo block, but the Camels closed out the 25-14 victory to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
• The Phoenix came out quickly in the third set, using a Sewell-Rucker block, a Lindsey Murphy service ace and kills from Rucker and Schultz to build a 7-3 lead. Campbell responded and eventually moved ahead 10-9 before the teams traded points through the middle of the frame. With Elon trailing 14-12, consecutive Schultz-Berlekamp blocks tied the set at 14-all before the Camels carried a 15-14 advantage into the media timeout. Elon later erased a 17-16 deficit with three straight points, highlighted by an Ellie Hunt kill, to take a 19-17 advantage. The teams continued to trade points down the stretch, with Lanier twice answering Campbell leads with kills to tie the frame at 21-all and 22-all. Schultz later evened the score at 23-all before a Campbell attack error gave Elon set point at 24-23. The Camels fought it off with a Phoenix attack error before Ella Duong delivered consecutive kills to close the set, 26-24, and complete the sweep.

 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Berlekamp recorded two solo blocks and three block assists for a team-high five total blocks. Elon finished with seven blocks as a team.
• Rucker finished the match with two blocks, moving her career total to 199. She enters the series finale one block away from 200 for her career.
• Sewell chipped in six kills on 13 attacks for a .231 hitting percentage.
• Elon collected 42 digs, its third-highest total in a three-set match this season. Only the Phoenix's 49 at Hampton and 43 at Robert Morris were higher.

 
UP NEXT

• Elon and Campbell close out the weekend series Saturday at 3 p.m. at Schar Center. The Phoenix will also recognize and honor its three-member graduating class of Berlekamp, Lanier and Shannon O'Laughlin prior to the match.

 
STAY POSTED
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