Hawks Come Up Short In CCS Championship Match
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Covenant (22-12,12-4 CCS) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
|
Huntingdon (15-20,9-7 CCS) | 13 | 17 | 12 | 0 |
WILMORE, KENTUCKY- Looking to cap off what felt like a perfect postseason run in the Collegiate Conference of the South Championship match, Huntingdon volleyball came up short, falling to the Scots of Covenant College in three sets.
Covenant entered the season ranked inside the top 25 nationally, coming of an NCAA tournament appearance. Their championship victory today marks their third in as many seasons in the CCS.
Today's match is the second time the two teams have faced off in the CCS finals, with the Scots walking away victorious in three sets over Huntingdon in 2022.
How it happened
The opening set of the championship match belonged to the Scots 25-13. Covenant's offensive attack was nearly spotless, as the team successfully recorded 14 kills with just one error on the set. After an Ashlen Janowski kill tied the score at 2, the Scots grabbed the lead and never let it go, going ahead 1-0.
As the second set got underway, the Hawks looked to battle back, taking an early 4-2 lead courtesy of three Scot errors. Covenant answered to Huntingdon's hot start with a 6-1 run, jumping out to an 8-5 lead. Multiple points from Aly Harris allowed for Huntingdon to tie the match at 8, but two seperate five point swings in favor of the Scots put the Hawks away 25-17.
With their backs against the wall, Huntingdon couldn't claim victory in the third set to stay alive, falling 25-12. The two teams were even at four following a kill from Izzy Valldeperas, but the Scots were able to take advantage of 10 Huntingdon errors in the set, capitalizing on their 11 kills to claim victory in the championship match.
This loss has brought an end to the Hawks 2024 campaign. After starting the season 3-12, the Hawks finished the season 13-8, qualifiying for the CCS tournament as the #5 seed. By first defeating #4 Belhaven and then #1 Asbury, the Hawks advanced to the championship match for the second time in three seasons, but couldn't find their way to victory. Stay tuned for news to come of the team's 2025 beach volleyball season.