LAURINBURG — The Knights men’s volleyball team welcomed the Campbellsville University Tigers Thursday evening for their home opener at Harris Court. The match went to a thrilling five sets with highs and lows for both sides. The Knights prevailed and were able to capture the victory and topple the #15 team in the NAIA. A win they’ll be ecstatic about for the coming days, the Knights will look to build on a tremendous victory like this and continue their winning ways into the Appalachian Athletic Conference schedule.

The Knights and Tigers began the first set with some back-and-forth play, as two premier NAIA programs traded points throughout the entirety of the contest and first set. Kenton Bedford (Midlothian, VA) found his stride early with two quick kills in the contests to make the score 3-3 in the first set.

A huge block assist from Dakota Hotaling (Center Moriches, NY) and Bedford gave the Knights their first lead of the night and brought the raucous crowd to their feet at Harris Court. From that moment, the Tigers were able to go on a 6-2 run before Hazem Aldeghafar (Cairo, Egypt) stopped the damage with a kill for the Knights.

The Tigers would be able to rip off another streaky run, claiming nine out of the final 12 points in the set to ultimately take the first set by a score of 25-16.

Looking to get back on their feet, the Knights had one of their best performances of the night in set two. A Hotaling service ace and Bedford kill allowed the Knights to get off to a fast 10-3 lead in the set. Great net defense forced the Tigers into some tricky kill attempts, that resulted in a lot of points coming for the Knights at the expense of the Tigers’ attack errors.

Campbellsville was able to methodically close the gap and bring the score to within five points, however, Jamere Jackson (Chicago, IL), Bedford, and Alex Vazquez-Sanchez (Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico) all converted on their kill attempts to help them pull away in the set.

Incredible attacking plays from the Knights’ outside hitters helped them accelerate through the second set and help them capture the set win with a dominant 21-14 final score.

In the third set, the Knights were once again able to establish dominance early on, as Aldeghafar, Jackson and Bedford were all able to convert on their early kill attempts. Francisco Figueroa (Fajardo, Puerto Rico) registered a beautiful kill to make the score 10-3 in the Knights’ favor early in the third set.

The Tigers were able to storm back into the frame after five straight kills from their outside hitters. Coming out of a St. Andrews timeout, Vazquez-Sanchez recorded two quick kills and another kill from Aldeghafar restored the Knights’ lead at 19-15.

After the teams traded points back-and-forth, Jackson ended the set with a statement kill, as the Knights would claim set three at a final score of 25-21.

The fourth set had all the drama, as the Knights were looking to close the door on the Tigers. The Tigers were able to get off to a hot start, as they claimed an early 5-2 lead after three kills from their attackers. The Knights were able respond in a big way, as a kill from Jackson tied the set back up at eight apiece.

Neither side had more than a two-point lead over the other down the entire set. Every point from both sides seemed to be responded and countered from their opponent. After Jackson recorded a beautiful kill to force the game to overtime, two Knights errors would give the Tigers the set win and push the contest to a fifth set.

Once again the teams couldn’t be closer and neither side ever reached more than a two-point lead over the other. It was the Knights who had the ice in this one; when tied at 14 apiece, outside hitters Vazquez-Sanchez and Figueroa both landed beautiful kills to give the Knights the 16-14 set five win and match victory altogether.

The Knights will begin their AAC schedule when they travel to Cleveland, Ga. on Feb. 4 to face the Truett-McConnell Bears. The contest is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.