It stings more because of how the first two went. A 30-28 set is the kind of thing a team remembers winning. Losing the match anyway is the kind of thing a team remembers longer.

The fifth set was over early

Cumberlands trailed 6-0 before scoring. Southeastern opened with a kill, an attack error, an ace, another attack error, and back-to-back service errors from the Patriots, and by the first timeout the set was effectively decided.

The final was 15-7. It was not that close.

That start is the whole match in miniature: Cumberlands gave away points rather than being beaten for them.

The efficiency collapsed set by set

Hitting percentage by set, in order: .200, .196, .070, .156, .032.

The two sets they won were their two best offensively. The third set, where the match turned, was their second-worst. The fifth was the worst of the night by a wide margin.

Twenty-nine attack errors on 205 swings is the number to sit with. Southeastern made 42 errors on 235 attempts, so nobody was clean, but the Eagles had 16 more kills to offset theirs.

Cumberlands out-blocked them and still lost

Total blocks: Cumberlands 11, Southeastern 4. Martina Frangella alone had 5.0, all of them solo. That is a genuinely outstanding night at the net.

Cumberlands also hit better as a team, .137 to .132.

Two teams played five sets, one hit better and blocked nearly three times as well, and lost. The gap was volume. Southeastern took 30 more swings and converted 16 more kills, because they kept the ball alive longer. The Eagles dug 113 balls to Cumberlands’ 100, and Laura Bonomi had 38 of them by herself while also leading all hitters with 20 kills.

Jolly had the best individual line on the floor

Forty-five assists and 24 digs. Add 5 kills on .400 hitting and it was the most complete match anyone played on either side.

She also set almost the entire offense again. Forty-five of Cumberlands’ 54 assists were hers, the third straight match where she has run essentially everything, the night after crossing 2,000 for her career.

Bryant’s usage is becoming the story

Sixty-six attempts. That is not a typo.

Bryant swung 66 times and finished with 15 kills, 8 errors, and a .106 hitting percentage. She took 32% of the team’s total attacks in a five-set match while also handling 21 receptions.

Compare that to Elaina Fischer, who hit .345 on 29 swings, or Frangella at .211 on 19. The two most efficient attackers on the roster combined for fewer attempts than Bryant had by herself.

When a match goes five and the primary option is hitting .106, the ball has to go somewhere else. Against a block that had clearly keyed on her by the third set, it mostly did not.

Our take

Nobody should be down about a 3-1 weekend that included a sweep of a top-ten team. Southeastern finished 4-0 and was the best team at the tournament.

But this one was there. Up two sets, out-blocking them 11 to 4, hitting better as a team. The difference was a third set that got away, a fifth set that was gone by the first timeout, and an offense that leaned on one hitter having her worst night of the weekend.

The pieces are obvious enough: Jolly is playing at a level that can carry a season, the block is real, and Fischer and Frangella are efficient when they get swings. The question that followed this team all weekend followed it into the final, and it is a distribution question, not a talent one.

The numbers

Cumberlands leaders: Bryant 15 kills, 16 points. Zampedri 13 kills, 22 digs, 56 receptions. Fischer 12 kills, .345. Jolly 45 assists, 24 digs. Frangella 5.0 blocks.

What’s Next

The #10 Cumberlands Patriots return to action on Friday. They will host Bluefield University and Andrew College.

Savanah Jolly also picked up her 2,000th career assist along the way, in a match where she set nearly the entire offense.

The box scores tell a more complicated story than the sweeps do. Here’s what actually happened.

Jolly hits 2,000, and the offense changes hands

Savanah Jolly recorded the 2,000th assist of her career against Texas Wesleyan. It came in the right match. She finished with 29 assists, and Cumberlands scored 39 kills as a team, meaning Jolly set roughly three of every four balls the Patriots put away.

Two thousand assists is a career built one touch at a time by a player whose job is to make everyone else’s numbers look good. Bryant’s 31 kills across two matches don’t happen without someone delivering the ball where she can hit it. Most of the second match, that was Jolly.

The milestone also landed on the night the offense visibly changed hands.

Against Goshen, Morgan Bentel ran the set with 18 assists to Jolly’s 6. Against Texas Wesleyan four hours later, that reversed almost completely: Jolly 29, Bentel 2.

That’s not a substitution pattern. That’s a different system.

Bentel didn’t disappear, though. Her dig total went from 4 against Goshen to 17 against Texas Wesleyan, the highest on the team by a wide margin. She moved from running the offense to anchoring the back row, and she was excellent at it.

Whether this is a planned two-system season or an in-tournament adjustment is the thing worth watching. Either way, both lineups won.

Efficiency dropped, and not only because the opponent improved

The Patriots hit .479 against Goshen. Against Texas Wesleyan they hit .269.

Attack errors tell the same story more bluntly: 5 in match one, 14 in match two. Total attacks went up, from 71 to 93, so they were swinging more often and connecting less. Some of that is simply that Texas Wesleyan is the better team. Goshen hit .075 for the match and never led after the opening point of the third set. That’s a team getting overrun.

Texas Wesleyan made Cumberlands earn it. The Rams hit .346 in the third set and dug 38 balls on the night.

The scoreboard flattered the second match

A 3-0 line suggests a comfortable evening. The set-by-set says otherwise.

Set two was tied at 20 before Cumberlands closed it 25-21. Set three was tied at 22 before three straight points ended the match. The Patriots trailed or were level late in two of three sets against a team they eventually swept.

That’s not a criticism. Winning tight sets is a skill, and they won all of them. But a sweep that includes two 22-plus finishes is a different result from one that includes a 25-10.

Brynnley Bryant is carrying an enormous load

Bryant took 41% of the team’s swings in match one and 41% again in match two. Across both matches: 31 kills, 68 attempts, 35.5 points.

Match one was spectacular 14 kills, .367 hitting. Match two was heavier: 17 kills, but 9 errors and a .211 clip on 38 attempts. She also passed 12 balls, dug 7, and put up 2 total blocks in that second match.

Two things are true at once. Bryant was the best player on the floor in both matches. And a team that funnels 40% of its offense through one outside hitter, while also asking her to pass and defend, is asking a lot of one player on day one of a season with a gold bracket still ahead.

The secondary attack needs to hold up

Sara Zampedri hit .444 on 18 swings against Goshen. Against Texas Wesleyan: .158 on 19 swings. Nearly identical volume, less than half the efficiency.

Elaina Fischer picked up some of the slack with 6 kills on .308 hitting, and Martina Frangella was quietly efficient at .600 on 5 attempts. But when Zampedri isn’t scoring, the offense narrows, and a good block can start sitting on Bryant.

Serving is aggressive to the point of breaking even

Across both matches: 16 service aces, 21 service errors.

That’s a deliberate philosophy, not sloppiness, you don’t accumulate 16 aces on day one by playing it safe. It worked against Goshen, where 9 aces against a shaky passing team helped break the match open. Against Texas Wesleyan it was closer to a wash: 7 aces, 10 errors.

Against peer competition, that ratio has to improve or the free points start flowing the other way.

Our take

This was a good day. Six sets, no losses, a career milestone for a four-year setter, and a spot in the gold bracket. Nobody should read the notes above as concern trolling a 2-0 start.

But the interesting stuff in a season opener is rarely the final score. It’s the two-setter question, whether the second and third attacking options can carry more, and how much of the offense a healthy Bryant should be asked to hold. Day one raised those questions. It didn’t answer them.

The numbers

UC volleyball returns 78% of its offense. What’s missing is harder to replace than what’s back.

Thirty-six wins. One loss. Twelve conference matches, twelve conference wins. Thirteen home dates without dropping a match, twelve road dates the same. The 2025 University of the Cumberlands volleyball team spent three months turning opponents into rounding errors: a .312 team hitting percentage against .103 for everybody else, 309 aces to 83, and a stretch from late September into November where they won nineteen straight matches and lost a grand total of two sets.

Then, on December 5, it ended 24-26, 25-20, 22-25, 25-17, 8-15 against McPherson.

The question hanging over 2026 isn’t whether this program can be good again. It’s narrower and more interesting than that: the Patriots kept fourteen of twenty-one players, including their setter and both primary pin hitters, and still walked away from the offseason with two specific problems that no amount of returning volume solves.

What came back

Start with the number that frames everything else. Of the 1,675 kills UC put down last season, 1,308 return. That’s 78.1%. Total attacks return at 80.3%, points at 76.9%, assists at a staggering 92.1%.

For a program at this level, that’s not a good returning class. That’s essentially the same team.

The assist figure is the one to sit with. Savanah Jolly is back for her senior season after handing out 1,208 assists at 10.98 per set, and she wasn’t just a distributor. She added 105 kills of her own on .422 hitting, which would lead most rosters in efficiency outright. A returning senior setter who already knows every hitter’s tempo is the single most valuable thing a team can have in August, and UC has one.

She’ll be setting the same people, too.

Sara Zampedri, back for a graduate year, led the team in kills (420), points (508.5), and aces (76) while also picking up 324 digs, a six-rotation player in every sense. Brynnley Bryant returns as a junior after 387 kills, 431 points, and 293 digs of her own. Between them: 807 kills from the pins, both back.

Alana Shiery is the third piece, and arguably the most important one. Her 237 kills came at .385, and she posted 68.0 block credit, the highest on the roster. A 6-2 junior middle who hits near .400 and blocks like that is the kind of player who quietly decides matches.

What didn’t

Here’s where the preview stops being a victory lap.

Kara Gipson hit .482. Not for a match, not for a weekend. For a season, across 440 attacks. She put down 248 kills, added 83 total blocks, and scored 297.5 points. On a team that hit .312 as a group, she was operating in a different weight class, and there is nobody on the 2026 roster who has done anything close to that.

Gipson graduated after the season and has moved on to another school, where she isn’t playing volleyball. There’s no eligibility asterisk here, no waiting to see how a transfer portal situation resolves. That production is simply gone.

This is the difference between losing production and losing efficiency. You can replace 248 kills by giving somebody else 440 swings. You cannot replace what those swings did to opposing defenses. When Gipson was a live option in the middle, opposing blockers had to honor her, and Zampedri and Bryant got cleaner looks on the outside. That gravity is gone.

The second departure is louder on the stat sheet and, in some ways, easier to solve.

Davey Slaughter took 500 digs with her, 25.5% of the entire team’s total, along with 71 aces, 112 assists, and 4.31 digs per set. She’s not far away; she’s listed on the 2026 staff as a Graduate Assistant. But she’s not passing serve anymore, and she was absorbing an enormous share of it: 18 of the team’s 83 reception errors came from a player who was clearly seeing the most balls.

Who fills it

The libero job is the more open competition of the two.

Autiana Wilson is the obvious front-runner. As a freshman she played 118 sets, put up 241 digs at 2.04 per set, and served 41 aces. Kendall Yarber, a senior, matched her ace total across the same 118 sets. Neither carried Slaughter’s volume, but both have been on the floor in high-leverage matches, which matters more than raw numbers in a serve-receive rebuild.

Behind them, UC added Josie Newcom, a 5-11 junior transfer from Murray State who can play out of the back row or the pin, and freshman Morgan Bentel out of DeForest, Wisconsin. Digs return at 70.5% and aces at 75.7%, thinner than the offensive figures and the first place to look if the Patriots stumble early.

The middle is the more consequential competition, because that’s where the .482 hole is.

Shiery anchors it. Elaina Fischer returns as a sophomore after 115 kills on .300 and 61 total blocks in only 85 sets. The per-set block rate (0.72) was identical to Gipson’s, which is the most encouraging single data point in this whole exercise. Faith Franklin adds a junior body, and 6-2 freshman Zuzanna Wolszewska arrives from Kraków with real size.

Blocking returns at 69.3%, the lowest of the major categories.

The new name

Martina Frangella comes to Williamsburg as a junior middle by way of Midland College, listed at 6-1 out of Santa Fe, Argentina. Her 2025-26 line: 170 kills, 1.72 per set, 234.0 points across 27 matches.

The percentage is the thing to be honest about. She hit .162 on 500 attacks. UC hit .312 as a team. Frangella took a lot of swings and converted them at a rate well below what this offense produced last season, and it’s worth being clear that she is not a like-for-like answer to what Gipson did.

That’s not a knock. It’s a read. Junior college volume hitters often see their efficiency jump substantially when they move into a system with a returning senior setter and two pins that command attention. Frangella arrives as size, physicality, and a fourth or fifth option in a crowded middle rotation. If the percentage climbs into the .250s in this offense, UC’s front-row problem gets a lot smaller.

The schedule

Start with the arithmetic, correctly. Last season’s 36-1 included five postseason matches: two in the Mid-South Conference tournament, three in the NAIA bracket. Strip those out and the 2025 regular season was 32 matches long and UC won all 32. The 2026 slate is also 32 matches. Same length, same shape, and the only honest baseline is an undefeated regular season.

Fourteen of those 32 are conference matches. The other 18 are where the season gets decided, and the schedule front-loads the difficulty in a way last year’s did not.

Three ranked opponents appear, all three in non-conference play, and all three away from Williamsburg: IU Kokomo (No. 13) on the road August 28, Mount Vernon Nazarene (No. 9) on a neutral floor the next morning, and Aquinas (No. 17) at Lima on September 26. UC beat both Kokomo and Aquinas last season, but neither was comfortable. Kokomo went 25-23, 25-21, 26-24, and Aquinas took a set 28-26. Those were three-set wins with Gipson in the middle and Slaughter passing.

Six more matches come against teams receiving votes: Texas Wesleyan in the opener at Keiser, Columbia International at the Cumberlands Invite, and home-and-home sets with both Lindsey Wilson and Cumberland (Tenn.).

The conference itself is not the problem. UC went 12-0 in league play last year and did it by an absurd margin, closing out Bethel (Tenn.) 25-13, 25-13, 25-13 and Georgetown 25-11, 25-12, 25-18. Nothing in the returning production suggests that changes much.

The prediction

29-3 in the regular season, 13-1 in conference.

The three projected losses sit in the August and September non-conference stretch, where all three ranked opponents fall inside a five-week window and where a new libero will be learning serve receive in real time against the best servers UC sees all year. The Kokomo and Mount Vernon Nazarene matches land on back-to-back days in the same tournament, roughly two weeks into the season. That is the hardest weekend on the calendar and it arrives before this group has settled.

The one conference loss is the honest acknowledgment that road matches at Lindsey Wilson, Campbellsville, and Cumberland (Tenn.) are the kind of environments where a team missing a .482 middle can drop a set cluster it would have survived a year ago.

The case for the over is Jolly. A returning senior setter with 92% of the assists coming back is the most reliable predictor of early-season stability there is, and if Fischer’s block rate holds and Frangella’s percentage climbs even modestly, this runs closer to 31-1.

The case for the under is narrower but real: if serve receive does not stabilize by late September, the ranked non-conference matches become losses rather than tests, and a team this dependent on in-system efficiency starts hitting well below .312.

Worth noting where the voters landed. UC opens the season ranked No. 10 despite the best record in the country last year, behind seven teams it never played. That is a schedule-strength judgment more than a talent judgment, and it means the late-August results will do more to shape this team’s postseason position than anything that happens in October.

Our take

Twenty-nine and three is a projection built from a spreadsheet. Here is what we actually think.

Any number with losses in it looks like a slide after an undefeated regular season, and this will be anything but a slide. Most of this team is back. What left is hard to replace, and we have said so plainly. But hard is not impossible, and there are two things a projection cannot price.

The first is Frangella. Volume hitters who arrive from junior college with a middling percentage and land in a system with a senior setter have a way of becoming different players by October. She may be a star in the making, and if she is, the front-row math stops being a problem entirely.

The second is the freshman class, which we think is the most underrated thing about this roster. There is a case that the best freshman in the country is on it. Development is unpredictable and we will find out in real time, but the ceiling here is considerably higher than the returning-production tables suggest.

What we are confident in is this. They will win the Mid-South again. They will host and win an NAIA opening round. They will make another run, and they may make a deeper one than last year’s. This is the best coaching staff in the country, and the UC Volleyball Gym is a fortress. UC went 13-0 at home in 2025 and did not drop a single home set worth remembering.

They were slept on all of last season and under-ranked the entire way. Opening at No. 10 after going 32-0 in the regular season suggests that trend is going to hold. That is fine. It worked out reasonably well the last time.

The read

Set the expectations honestly. This is not a team facing a rebuild, and framing it that way would be silly: 78% of the kills, 92% of the assists, both outsides, and the setter all walked back through the door in August.

But 36-1 teams don’t get graded on whether they’ll be good. They get graded on whether they can be that good again, and the two things standing in the way are specific: a middle who hit .482 and a libero who took a quarter of the digs. One of those is now on the coaching staff. The other graduated and has stopped playing.

Everything else is intact. Whether it’s enough depends almost entirely on how fast Wilson settles into serve receive and whether Fischer, Wolszewska, or Frangella can turn into the front-row threat that keeps opposing blockers honest.

Call it 29-3, and expect the number to look conservative by November. The Patriots open Friday morning against Goshen in West Palm Beach, and the answers start arriving two weeks after that.

*Win-loss projection and the opinions in “Our take” are this publication’s own, not a UC or conference forecast. Stats via the 2025 University of the Cumberlands season statistics report (final, Dec. 5, 2025) and the 2026 Patriots roster. Frangella’s numbers via Midland College, 2025-26. Schedule and rankings via UC Athletics and the NAIA Coaches’ Top 25.

According to an official announcement from UC Athletics, the move reflects the department’s deep commitment to building a top-tier game-day environment and strengthening its bond with the Williamsburg community. Whether you are a lifelong local or a dedicated student-athlete supporter, there has never been a better time to pack the stands and bring the noise across every venue on campus.

“The heart of our community service has been working with local elementary and middle schools, and being able to provide access to our events for students and their families across the community is the next step in solidifying our relationship within the Williamsburg community,” said Athletic Director Chris Kraftick.

This initiative builds on years of dedicated outreach to local schools, including community favorites like basketball education days, High-Five Fridays, and youth mentorship programs.

“The local community has been incredible in supporting Cumberlands Athletics over the years, especially during NAIA Opening Round events, and I’m thrilled to have them be part of Patriots Athletics for years to come,” added Kraftick.

Patriots Nation Take

This is a massive win for Cumberlands sports culture. By eliminating ticket prices, especially for NAIA postseason games that usually carry premium pricing, UC is removing every barrier between the fanbase and the stands. Expect student sections to be rowdier, family turnouts to explode, and home-field advantage across football, basketball, and baseball to reach an all-time high. It is a classy, community-first decision from Chris Kraftick and the administration that directly rewards the fans who show up day in and day out.

Stay Connected with Patriots Nation

Never miss a moment of the action. Head over to Patriots Nation for complete coverage, schedules, and in-depth updates.

• Read the Official UC Release: Cumberlands Athletics

  Join the Conversation

X: @UCPatsNation

Instagram: @ucpatriotsnation

Threads: @ucpatriotsnation

Reddit: r/CumberlandsPatriots

Facebook: Patriots Nation

The Men Are National Champions

Let’s start with the headline: the Cumberlands men captured the NAIA Outdoor National Championship on Friday. That’s the second outdoor national title in program history and our third red banner ever. The guys racked up 25 All-America honors, three individual national champions, and a relay title on their way to 79 points — a new program outdoor record.

Coach Bradley Sowder picked up NAIA Outdoor Coach of the Year, the fourth national coaching honor of his career, and the way he put it afterward says everything about this group: the guys were hungry, focused, and took care of the little things that win meets. He talked about wanting Cumberlands to become the standard for excellence — and after a day like Friday, it’s hard to argue.

The day got off to a historic start in the 4x100. Jordan Afolayan, Willy Mabena, Edwin Van Wyk, and Aarontae Wesley took the national title in a school-record 39.57 — the first 4x100 national championship we’ve ever had. From there it just kept rolling:

• Tavon Davis became the first 400-meter national champion in program history, winning in 45.88.
• Willy Mabena doubled back to take runner-up in the 200 with a personal-best 20.63.
• Niklas Scherb came in ranked 17th in the 1500 and ran his way to fourth (3:59.82), while Ishak Mekideche grabbed All-America in seventh (4:00.25).
• Mekideche then went and earned a second All-American nod in the 5000 (seventh, 14:39.68), with Luca Madeo right behind him (14:42.78).
• The 4x400 of Roy Miller, Jermaine Thompson, Tavon Davis, and Zion Pruitt closed it out in sixth (3:12.34).

And then there’s Luca Madeo, who turned in the kind of performance that becomes program legend. His win in the 10,000 meters wasn’t just another title — it was his fourth straight national championship in the event. Four years, four crowns. That’s the sort of consistency you build a program’s reputation on.

Our multi-event guys deserve a shout too. In the decathlon, Seth Massie topped the field in the long jump and the javelin throw, while Mark Lawin took the shot put and the discus — four individual event wins between them across the grind of a two-day decathlon.

Add in the national titles from Madeo (10,000m), Lucien Beardsley (5,000m race walk), Tavon Davis (400m), and that 4x100 squad, and you’ve got a championship effort from start to finish. Indiana Tech (49.2) and St. Thomas, FL (49) rounded out the top three, but this one belonged to the Patriots.

The Women Make History Too

Not to be outdone, the Cumberlands women closed out the championships as national runner-up — the highest outdoor finish this program has ever had. They finished with 11 All-America honors, a national champion, and three runner-up finishes.

The women opened their final day in the 4x100, where Lillian Guzman, Ritorion Vigne, Abia Kante, and MaQuoia Raglin took third nationally in 45.54. Kante was everywhere this week — she added a fifth-place All-America finish in the 200 (24.20) to go with her marks in the long jump and that relay, giving her three All-America honors at the meet.

Then there’s Alina Boshchuk, who just keeps writing her name in the record book. She grabbed national runner-up in the 5000 (17:16.20), with Patrober Jepchirchir taking sixth (17:25.10) for an All-America finish of her own. That 5000 was Boshchuk’s ninth career T&F All-America honor, tying Kante for the most in program history — and counting cross country, she leaves Cumberlands with 11 total, more than any athlete the women’s program has ever produced. She also took runner-up in the 10,000 earlier in the week. What a career.

And we can’t forget Heather Durrant, who won the 5,000-meter racewalk national championship to become just the second individual outdoor national champion in program history.

British Columbia took the team title with 101.5 points, but the Patriots’ 52 was good enough for second, ahead of Dickinson State (40) and IU Kokomo (30).

The Bottom Line

Two teams, one weekend, and a whole lot of new banners and personal bests. The men are national champions, the women turned in the best outdoor finish they’ve ever had, and the program keeps trending in one direction — up. Couldn’t be prouder of this group. On to next season.

Join the Conversation

X: @UCPatsNation

Instagram: @ucpatriotsnation

Threads: @ucpatriotsnation

Reddit: r/CumberlandsPatriots

Facebook: Patriots Nation

The road to the 2026 NAIA National Championship is officially set, and the University of the Cumberlands women’s lacrosse team is heading into the tournament with some serious momentum. After a dominant season, the Patriots have secured the #2 seed in the national field and are ready to make a deep run.

Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming quarterfinal matchup and the Patriots’ historic season.

The Matchup: Patriots vs. Gyrenes

The quest for the red banner begins on Monday, May 11th, as UC takes on the #7 seed Ave Maria University.

• When: Monday, May 11th

  5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT

• Where: NAIA National Tournament Quarterfinals
• Previous Meeting: The Patriots already hold a victory over the Gyrenes this year, winning 13-6 back on February 20th. The Patriots are 8-0 all-time vs the Gyrenes.

The winner of this clash will advance to the semifinals to face either #3 SCAD-Savannah or #6 Marian.

A Season for the Record Books

Cumberlands enters the tournament with a staggering 19-1 record, having already swept both the AAC Regular Season and Tournament titles. This marks the program’s eighth consecutive appearance in the NAIA Tournament, but this year’s squad feels particularly special, leading the country in several major categories:

• Total Goals: 389 (1st in NAIA)
• Assists: 235 (1st in NAIA)
• Caused Turnovers: 275 (1st in NAIA)
• Goals Against Average: 4.69 (1st in NAIA)

Players to Watch

The Patriots’ success is fueled by a “total team” effort, but a few individual performances have been truly elite:

• Ashlee Baker: The AAC Player of the Year is a playmaker extraordinaire, leading the NAIA with 66 assists and 128 total points.
• Mikayla Kimsey: A wall in the net, Kimsey leads the nation with a 58.0% save percentage.
• Koral Hadac: The defensive specialist has racked up 46 caused turnovers, the highest mark in the country.
• Emma Rittman: A force all over the field, Rittman leads the NAIA with 63 ground balls and ranks 4th in draw controls.

What’s At Stake

With 13 wins against ranked opponents this season, the Patriots have proven they can beat the best. Now, it’s about finishing the job on the national stage. They have played 6 of the 8 teams in the NAIA Tournament. Their only loss came to #1 Benedictine (in OT by one goal) — the only team in the field they haven’t defeated, as they did not face Keiser this year.

Champions! Patriots Sweep Championship Day to Claim 7th MSC Title

The top-seeded University of the Cumberlands baseball team pulled off a historic comeback on Saturday at Bowling Green Ballpark. Facing elimination, the Patriots (46-8) defeated #3 seed Cumberland University twice in a single day to capture their seventh Mid-South Conference Tournament Championship in program history.

The title run was defined by resilience, as UC closed out the tournament with five consecutive elimination-game victories to secure the red banner.

Game 1: Patriots Force the Decisive Matchup (UC 14, CU 4)

In the afternoon opener, the Patriots’ bats exploded for 14 runs on 14 hits to force a winner-take-all finale.

• The Big Bats: Derick Andiarena set the tone early with a two-run homer in the fourth. He finished the game with a home run and 5 RBI. Pedro Vasquez also went deep, driving in three runs.
• On the Mound: Ben Rohrbach provided elite relief, tossing 5.2 innings and striking out seven while allowing only one run.
• The Clincher: A massive six-run sixth inning blew the game open, extending the UC lead to 10-3 and effectively silencing the Phoenix.

Game 2: Walk-Off Magic for the Championship (UC 7, CU 6)

The nightcap was a heavyweight battle that saw the Patriots rally from a late-inning deficit to win it in walk-off fashion.

• Early Lead: UC jumped out to a 3-1 lead through five innings, highlighted by another solo shot from Andiarena.
• The Comeback: After Cumberland U took a 6-3 lead in the eighth, the Patriots responded immediately. RBI plays from Jay Flynn and Andiarena tied the game at 6-6 heading into the ninth.
• The Moment: In the bottom of the ninth, with runners in scoring position, Chris Seay crossed home plate on a wild pitch to secure the 7-6 victory and the MSC trophy.

Key Performers of the Day

The Patriots’ championship effort was led by several standout seniors:

What’s Next: NAIA Opening Round

The celebration won’t last long as the Patriots prepare for the national stage. Cumberlands has earned the right to host the NAIA Opening Round in Williamsburg.

• Kickoff: Monday, May 11th
• Location: Williamsburg, KY

Stay tuned to Patriots Nation for bracket updates and ticket information as UC begins its quest for another World Series berth!

Go Patriots!

Join the Conversation

X: @UCPatsNation

Instagram: @ucpatriotsnation

Threads: @ucpatriotsnation

Reddit: r/CumberlandsPatriots

Facebook: Patriots Nation

Women’s Basketball

No. 14 Cumberlands 67, (RV) Cumberland (TN) 59

The No. 14 Cumberlands women’s basketball team opened its MSC home slate with a poised and disciplined 67-59 victory over receiving-votes Cumberland University, using balanced scoring, timely three-point shooting, and stifling defense to control the contest on Randy Vernon Court.

Cumberlands placed four players in double figures and held the Phoenix to 29.7 percent shooting, limiting clean looks throughout the night while responding to every scoring run with composure.

Key Contributors

• Lakin Burke: 17 points, 7 rebounds
• Peyton Mounce: 13 points, 3 three-pointers
• Jaydyn Carrico: 11 points
• Joy Kendrick: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals

Game Flow and Analysis

Cumberland struck first, jumping out to an early 4-0 lead, but Cumberlands responded behind Jaydyn Carrico’s penetration and interior finishes from Zaram Fredricks. Peyton Mounce tied the game late in the first quarter with a three-pointer, though the Phoenix held a slim 21-19 advantage after one.

The second quarter proved pivotal. Amy Thompson opened the period with a jumper before Burke found Mounce for a three that gave UC its first lead. Noel Smith added a key boost by knocking down her first collegiate three-pointer, and Cumberlands closed the half on a 5-0 run, capped by a buzzer-beating three from Mounce, to take a 36-29 lead into halftime.

Defenses tightened in the third quarter as Cumberland trimmed the deficit to three. Cumberlands responded with execution inside, highlighted by an Aden Clark layup and a Burke putback. A Carrico three and a Fredricks offensive rebound at the buzzer pushed the lead to 52-45 entering the fourth.

Joy Kendrick took control early in the final quarter, scoring five of UC’s first six points before converting a three-point play following a Clark steal to extend the lead to 61-49. The Patriots closed the game at the free-throw line, going 6-of-8 down the stretch to secure the 67-59 victory.

Team Metrics

• Field Goal Defense: 29.7%
• Bench Points: UC 24
• Second-Chance Points: UC 16
• Points off Turnovers: UC 15

Patriots Nation PLayer of the Game

Lakin Burke

Men’s Basketball

No. 8 Cumberlands 93, Cumberland (TN) 75

The No. 8 Cumberlands men’s basketball team capped the sweep with a convincing 93-75 victory, using elite perimeter shooting, rebounding dominance, and defensive pressure to earn its first Mid-South Conference win of the season inside the O. Wayne Rollins Center.

Cumberlands built a double-digit halftime lead and never relinquished control, finishing with 15 three-pointers, a 45-34 rebounding advantage, and a season-best 13 steals.

Key Contributors

• Brant Smithers: 24 points, 7 three-pointers
• Kyle Duke: 23 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
• Malachi Robinson: Career-high 13 points, 8 rebounds (7 offensive)
• Andrew McConnell: 12 points, 4 assists

Game Flow and Analysis

Cumberlands opened the game with energy, as Andrew McConnell scored on the opening possession and Malachi Robinson followed with a fast-break dunk. After a brief Phoenix surge, UC regained momentum behind Kyle Duke and Brady Bell.

The turning point came midway through the first half when Brant Smithers entered off the bench and drained three triples in four minutes, pushing UC ahead 23-18. Duke and Robinson continued to attack, and the Patriots closed the half with a barrage of three-pointers. Duke capped the run with a fast-break triple, sending Cumberlands into halftime with a 54-39 lead.

The Patriots wasted no time after the break, opening the second half with a Robinson layup and a Bell three to stretch the margin to 59-39. Smithers stayed hot, Duke attacked off the bounce, and Robinson finished strong at the rim as UC pushed the lead past 20.

Cumberland made a brief late push, but Cumberlands answered with timely three-point shooting. Smithers knocked down two more triples, and Abraham Ibezimakor sealed the win with a highlight dunk in the final minute as the Patriots closed out the 93-75 victory.

Team Metrics

• Three-Pointers: 15 (season high)
• Rebounding Margin: +11
• Assists: 20
• Bench Points: 35
• Turnovers Forced: 17

Patriots Nation PLayer of the Game

Kyle Duke

Up Next

• Women’s Basketball: Hosts (RV) Georgetown College on Thursday, January 22 at 5:30 p.m.
• Men’s Basketball: Hosts No. 18 Georgetown College on Saturday, January 18 at 3:00 p.m.

Join the Conversation

X: @UCPatsNation

Instagram: @ucpatriotsnation

Threads: @ucpatriotsnation

Reddit: r/CumberlandsPatriots

Facebook: Patriots Nation

Cumberlands saw every Patriot who entered the game score, pairing elite efficiency with unselfish play to deliver one of its most complete performances of the season.

Offensive Efficiency and Balance

The Patriots were nearly unstoppable offensively, shooting 46-of-72 (63.9%) from the field and 13-of-29 (44.8%) from beyond the arc. UC also recorded a season-high 24 assists, consistently creating high-quality looks while limiting mistakes.

Andrew McConnell led the attack with 21 points in just 16 minutes, connecting on 6-of-8 shots and draining four three-pointers. Kyle Duke added 17 points and five assists, controlling tempo while scoring efficiently. Kyler McLendon contributed 14 points off the bench, while Ikemba Otuonye chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds in the paint.

First-Half Separation

Cumberlands set the tone early with defensive pressure and transition offense. After Duke opened the scoring at the free-throw line, McConnell quickly caught fire from deep. A Javecckio Thomas block led to a Malachi Robinson fast-break dunk, pushing the lead into double figures.

Midway through the half, the Patriots extended the margin past 20 as Duke knocked down a wing three, Anthony Harris finished a dunk in traffic, and McLendon sparked the bench. UC closed the half on a dominant run to take a 58-27 lead into the break.

Second-Half Surge and Depth on Display

The Patriots showed no signs of slowing after halftime. Duke and McConnell opened the second half with quick scores before Otuonye went to work inside. Robinson added another dunk following a defensive stop, and Harris scored on consecutive possessions as the lead grew beyond 40.

With under 10 minutes remaining, Cumberlands continued to play unselfishly. Shaw Daves knocked down a pair of three-pointers, Jalan Johnson scored in transition, and the Patriots crossed the 100-point mark with over six minutes to play. A late Otuonye layup capped the scoring in the 120-58 win.

Statistical Dominance

Cumberlands controlled every phase of the game:

• Rebounding: UC 40, Milligan 17
• Points in the Paint: UC 60, Milligan 34
• Points off Turnovers: UC 22
• Bench Points: UC 64

Defensively, the Patriots forced 12 turnovers and held Milligan to 36.9% shooting and 19.0% from three.

Up Next

Cumberlands returns to action Saturday, January 3, hosting Dalton State at 3:00 p.m. inside the O. Wayne Rollins Center.

Patriots Nation Player of the Game

Drew McConnell

No. 12 Cumberlands Cruises Past Union Commonwealth, 83-35

The No. 12-ranked University of the Cumberlands women’s basketball team extended its winning streak to eight games Tuesday night, earning an 83-35 victory over Union Commonwealth on Randy Vernon Court.

Behind relentless defensive pressure and balanced scoring, the Patriots held Union Commonwealth to 27.5% shooting and forced 28 turnovers, turning defense into offense throughout the contest.

Fast Start Sets the Tone

Cumberlands opened the game on a 14-0 run over the first four minutes, with five Patriots finding the scoring column early. Darcie Anderson and Mackenzie Babb recorded back-to-back steals that resulted in fast-break layups, stretching the lead to 18-2.

Aden Clark closed the first quarter with consecutive pull-up jumpers, sending UC into the second period with a commanding 24-4 advantage.

Defensive Pressure Fuels Separation

The Patriots continued to overwhelm Union Commonwealth in the second quarter. Anderson scored four straight points as UC opened the period on a 10-0 run, capped by an Amy Thompson layup that pushed the lead to 34-4.

Joy Kendrick closed the half with authority, converting a three-point play at the buzzer to give Cumberlands a 41-13 lead at the break.

Second-Half Control

Cumberlands maintained control throughout the second half. Kendrick sparked the third quarter with a pair of baskets, a steal, and an assist as the Patriots pushed the lead past 30. Three-pointers from Lakin Burke and Clark, along with continued interior scoring, allowed UC to extend its advantage to 64-26 entering the fourth.

In the final quarter, Zaram Fredricks anchored the defense with six points, seven rebounds, and three blocks, as the Patriots outscored Union Commonwealth 19-9 to close out the 83-35 victory.

Standout Performances

• Joy Kendrick: 20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
• Darcie Anderson: Career-high 16 points, 7 steals
• Lakin Burke: 12 points, career-high two three-pointers
• Aden Clark: 11 points, 5 assists, 2 steals
• Zaram Fredricks: Game-high 15 rebounds, 5 blocks

Team Metrics

Cumberlands dominated the statistical categories:

• Points in the Paint: UC 52
• Fast-Break Points: UC 22
• Points off Turnovers: UC 30
• Rebounding Margin: UC +26

Union Commonwealth was limited to just four made three-pointers and 16 points in the paint.

Patriots Nation Player of the Game

JOY KENDRICK

Up Next

The Patriots return to action Saturday, January 3, when they host Miami-Hamilton. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. inside the Rollins Center.

Join the Conversation

X: @UCPatsNation

Instagram: @ucpatriotsnation

Threads: @ucpatriotsnation

Reddit: r/CumberlandsPatriots

Facebook: Patriots Nation

Women’s Basketball Recap

Fredricks Ties Program Rebounding Record as #18 Cumberlands Dominates Tennessee Wesleyan 85-48

Game Summary

In a historic display of dominance in the paint, the #18 University of the Cumberlands Patriots extended their winning streak to seven games with a convincing 85-48 victory over Tennessee Wesleyan at the Southeastern Classic. The victory improves the Patriots’ record to 13-1, while Tennessee Wesleyan falls to 4-8.

The narrative of the afternoon was defined by senior Zaram Fredricks, who delivered a career-defining performance. Fredricks etched her name into the program record books by pulling down 25 rebounds, tying the single-game school record previously set by Allison Wilburn (1981) and Allison Smith (1986). It marked the first time a Patriot has recorded 25 rebounds in a game in nearly 40 years.

Analytical Breakdown

• Dominance on the Glass: The statistical disparity in rebounding was the deciding factor of the contest. Cumberlands outrebounded Tennessee Wesleyan by a staggering margin of 65-24. Most notably, the Patriots grabbed 28 offensive rebounds—more than TWU’s total rebound count for the entire game. This aggression led to 25 second-chance points compared to just 7 for the Bulldogs.
• Interior Control: The Patriots utilized their size advantage effectively, outscoring the Bulldogs 44-6 in the paint. Fredricks (20 points) and Joy Kendrick (19 points) consistently attacked the rim, leading to high-percentage shots. Consequently, UC shot 47.4% from the field, while their defense held TWU to just 27.4% shooting and forced 15 turnovers.
• Defensive Stifling: After a competitive opening few minutes where UC led only 9-5, the Patriots’ defense locked in. A 15-0 run in the second quarter blew the game open. They held TWU to just 16.7% shooting in the second period, taking a commanding 41-22 lead into halftime.

Key Performances

• Zaram Fredricks (UC): 20 Points, 25 Rebounds (9 Offensive), 3 Blocks. An absolute two-way force, Fredricks accounted for nearly 40% of the game’s total rebounds.
• Joy Kendrick (UC): 19 Points, 6 Rebounds, 2 Steals. Kendrick was highly efficient, shooting 8-of-14 from the floor.
• Aden Clark (UC): 13 Points, 4 Assists. Clark provided perimeter spacing, hitting 2-of-4 from three-point range.

Looking Ahead

The Patriots will look to close out the calendar year on a high note when they host Union Commonwealth on Tuesday, December 30, at 5:00 p.m.

Patriots Nation Player of the Game

Zaram Fredricks

Men’s Basketball Recap

RV Pikeville Hands Cumberlands First Loss of Season in 86-80

Game Summary

In a heavyweight clash between two of the NAIA’s premier programs, the University of the Cumberlands suffered their first defeat of the 2025-26 campaign, falling 86-80 to the University of Pikeville. Despite a heroic 32-point effort from Kyle Duke, the Patriots (13-1) could not overcome a massive disparity at the free-throw line, allowing Pikeville (12-2, 7-0) to pull off a massive upset.

The game was a story of two halves. Cumberlands held a slim 40-38 advantage at halftime behind efficient shooting, but the Bears controlled the pace in the second half, outscoring the Patriots 48-40 in the final twenty minutes.

Analytical Breakdown

• The Free Throw Disparity: The game was ultimately decided at the charity stripe. Pikeville was elite from the line, converting 31-of-34 attempts (91.2%). In contrast, Cumberlands struggled to get to the line and capitalize, shooting just 13-of-20 (65%). This 18-point differential at the line negated UC’s superior field goal shooting.
• Efficiency vs. Volume: Analytically, Cumberlands shot the ball better from the floor (49.2% FG) and from deep (50% 3PT) compared to Pikeville (45.5% FG, 29.4% 3PT). However, Pikeville mitigated this shooting gap by forcing turnovers (10 steals) and attacking the paint, where they outscored UC 40-30.
• Clutch Execution: In the closing minutes, Pikeville’s guards, specifically Jaylan Rigdon and LA Walker, refused to miss free throws. Despite late buckets by UC’s Brant Smithers and Duke, Pikeville’s ability to maximize possessions without the clock running prevented a Patriots comeback.

Key Performances

• Kyle Duke (UC): 32 Points, 6 Rebounds, 11-18 FG. Duke was the best player on the floor, scoring efficiently from all three levels with a usage rate of 35.9%.
• Brant Smithers (UC): 16 Points. Smithers provided a spark from deep, though foul trouble (team-high fouls) limited defensive aggression late.

Impact

This loss snaps Cumberlands’ undefeated start to the season, moving them to 13-1. While the Patriots showed they can score with high efficiency against top-tier competition, defensive discipline regarding fouls and free-throw conversion rates proved to be the difference against a disciplined Pikeville squad.

Join the Conversation

X: @UCPatsNation

Instagram: @ucpatriotsnation

Threads: @ucpatriotsnation

Reddit: r/CumberlandsPatriots

Facebook: Patriots Nation

Football Season

This is the hardest team to judge out of any of the fall teams on campus. If you look at the record at 4-6 it would be easy to say this season was a disappointment. On the other hand you have to note that the Mid-South Conference is a top league in the NAIA football world. They went 1-1 in rivalries keeping the Brass Lantern in Williamsburg but losing the Cumberlands Bowl in OT. I was hoping they would go at least 5-5 or maybe even 6-4. You could argue they were just a play or 2 from 5-5 or 6-4 with single possession losses at Faulkner (35-36 OT), at Cumberland ( 37-40 OT), and vs Georgetown College (28-35). If they had won those games they go 7-3 and finish tied for 2nd in the MSC.

Volleyball Season

This is the most heartbreaking recap I will write out. This was a team of destiny and because they were never given the proper respect from the NAIA they were sent home earlier than they should had been. The team went 36-1 shattering school records on their way. However, they were never ranked higher than 9th and were given the 9 seed. They would host their first ever NAIA second round game and made it to Sioux City. They would sweep Midland for their first ever tournament match in Sioux City. They would then face the 8 seed McPherson, who was also seeded criminally low. They would go 5 sets and fall to McPherson for their ONLY loss on the season.

Men’s Soccer

The Men’s Soccer program finished last year after losing in a shootout in the NAIA Semifinals. I was not sure what to expect from these guys as they lost some key players but also returned some other key players. They started the season off with highs and lows. However, once Mid-South play arrived they were up for the challenge and won the regular season title. They would fall in the MSC Semi-Finals and ear an at large spot in the NAIA tourney. They would go on another run to the Semis before falling to Grand View who won the NAIA National Title today.

Women’s Soccer

I can almost copy and paste the Men’s recap and it would be true here. I did have higher expectations for them than the Men’s team and they met those expectations. I strongly feel they were the better team today and should had been the National Champions. However, this is soccer and Keiser was determined to not go out with a fight. They equalized in the second and both teams were content with PKs. Keiser would prevail in PKs 3-2. The future is bright for this squad and will be led in the future by Freshman goalkeeper Morgan White

Join the Conversation

X: @UCPatsNation

Instagram: @ucpatriotsnation

Threads: @ucpatriotsnation

Reddit: r/CumberlandsPatriots

Facebook: Patriots Nation