Tigers capture RSC Championship in instant classic

Georgetown and Campbellsville split their regular season meetings with each going 5 sets to determine the winner. Playing for the 3rd time, the rubber match had the feeling of another marathon, and after 2 hours, 25 minutes, Georgetown was able to prevail in another 5-set thriller for the ages and win the inaugural River States Conference title.

Campbellsville had the early edge in the opening set as Georgetown struggled with serve receive and serve errors. CU jumped out to a 9-5 lead. Georgetown then made its first push, starting with a kill from RSC Freshman of the Year, Kristjan Unt. Michal Bak and Miguel Ariza Vega followed with their own and after a solo block from Vega, Georgetown knotted the set at 9. Campbellsville countered with its own run of 4 straight to retake control and would gradually build up to lead of 18-12. Unt and Vega started a charge from Georgetown that would get the team as close as 1 at 23-22. Campbellsville was able to hold off the charge and take the opener, 25-22.

Set 2 was the only one of the day decided by more than 2 points. Georgetown got going early and never looked back. Leading 5-3, Robin Puss started a 7-2 run that broke the set wide open. Adam Szewinski had 2 kills and a solo block in the run that saw Georgetown explode to a 12-5 lead. Campbellsville scored 3 of 4 out of a timeout to get back to 13-8, but errors kept CU from getting closer as Georgetown took the next 4 points for a lead of 9. Campbellsville hit .000 in the set with 7 attack errors, while Georgetown swung at a .429 clip and ran away with the 2nd, 25-13, to even the match at a set apiece.

The third set was tight most of the way. With Georgetown having an early 4-3 lead, Campbellsville went on a mini-run of 3 straight to move ahead by 2. Michal Bak then led Georgetown on a 4-0 countering run with 2 blocks and a kill. Campbellsville battled back to tie the set at 10. Georgetown retook the lead after a CU error and a tandem block by Finn Heinemann and Miguel Ariza Vega. Moments later with a 14-13 Georgetown lead, GC was able to momentarily separate. A kill from Vega and consecutive blocks by Adam Szewinski gave the Tigers a 17-13 lead. As was the story all day long, the trailing team made a run back. Campbellsville scored 5 of 6 to tie the set again at 18-all. Georgetown returned to its Polish power as Bak and Szewinski put away back-to-back balls for a 20-18 lead. Campbellsville again pushed the set to a 21-21 tie. Kristjan Unt gave Georgetown the lead again and after a Finn Heinemann ace, the Tigers took a 23-21 lead and sent Campbellsville to a timeout. Robin Puss gave GC its 1st set point with a kill out of the break. He had a chance for the winner but the next swing sailed long. Campbellsville saved 2 set points, but the 3rd proved the charm for Georgetown. Kristjan Unt took a Finn Heinemann feed and buried it to clinch the set for Georgetown, 25-23.

Georgetown used the momentum to storm out of the gates in the 4th set. Robin Puss tallied 2 blocks and a kill as part of an opening 5-1 spurt. Campbellsville turned up its defense to block 2 straight kill attempts by Michal Bak as part of an 8-3 run that sent CU into the lead at 9-8. The teams stayed within a point of one another until Georgetown made a mini-run while down 15-14. Michal Bak tied the set at 15 and strong defending up front forced 2 straight CU attack errors to give Georgetown a 17-15 edge. Georgetown kept the lead up to a 20-18 mark. Campbellsville then came back with 3 in a row to take the lead, as Georgetown called for time. Adam Szewinski tied the set at 21. Campbellsville answered back with the next 3 to have a 24-22 lead. Kristjan Unt held off 1 set point, but after an extended rally, Campbellsville did the inevitable and pushed the match to a 5th set with a 25-23 win in the 4th.

Campbellsville used the momentum to take an early 2-1 lead in the 5th. Georgetown then came roaring back. 3 kills from Michal Bak and 2 aces from Kristjan Unt rocketed Georgetown into the lead at 6-2. Campbellsville got the next 2 to draw closer, but Georgetown had another answer from Bak for a 7-4 lead. The teams then traded point-for-point as Georgetown maintained a small lead, drawing closer to the magic number of 15. A kill from Miguel Ariza Vega put Georgetown up 13-10, 2 points away from the title. Campbellsville refused to wilt and flipped the set with a stunning run of 4 straight points to go up 14-13 with championship point on serve. Georgetown stayed poised and turned to Michal Bak, who delivered in the clutch, with his 6th kill of the set to deny Campbellsville the title and tie the set at 14. Georgetown went his way again on the next point and Bak delivered again to put Georgetown on the brink of the title. Campbellsville countered with a tandem block on Kristjan Unt to knot the set at 15-all. A CU attack error gave Georgetown another serve for the win, but Campbellsville had the answer to tie the set at 16. Kristjan Unt got the ball once more and put it away to give the Tigers a 3rd championship point at 17-16. With Ben Meyers on serve, the teams scrambled on a long rally. The ball found its way to Unt again, who swung with all he had while falling to the floor. His attempt hit a Campbellsville hand and trickled to the CU side of the floor to win the point and clinch the championship, 18-16.

For Georgetown, it is the 4th consecutive conference title, after the Tigers won the final 3 as part of the Mid-South Conference. Finn Heinemann, the RSC Player of the Year and Setter of the Year, ended the day with 57 assists and 14 digs. Michal Bak tallied 7 kills in the clinching 5th to finish with 20 and 12 digs. Kristjan Unt was the 3rd Tiger with a double-double as the freshman put up 16 kills and 11 digs. Miguel Ariza Vega had 13 kills, 3 solo blocks, 2 block assists, 2 assists and 2 digs in his conference swan song. Robin Puss added 11 kills outside. Ben Meyers paced the back line with 18 digs.

Georgetown now gets the chance to defend its 2024 national title with a return trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The 12-team national championship field will be announced on Tuesday, with pool play starting on April 29th.