WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - CIU volleyball notched their first top-15 win since 2022 on Friday, completing an improbable comeback to defeat No. 11 Missouri Baptist in five sets. The win followed an early morning matchup with St. Francis (Ind.), where the Rams won handily. Both wins came on CIU 's final day at the Vipers Sports Academy Classic hosted by Keiser University (Fla.). CIU moves to 4-0 on the season.

Match One: CIU 3 SF 0 (25-22, 26-24, 25-13): The Rams picked up their second sweep in as many days as CIU raced past the Cougars. CIU would find themselves tied at 24 in the second set, but a kill from Katie Camp and a service ace from Kelcey Mangum would end the threat. Hanah Weiss and Hadassah Davis each had double-digit kills both recording ten. Davis looked in mid-season form with a .600 attack percentage. Kamelia De Jesus rounded out the Rams' offensive outing with 25 assists to go along with a team-high ten digs. CIU's serving made a difference in the match as the Rams tallied seven aces, with Mangum, Lesiray Nazario Marrero, and Bellamy Fennell all picking up two. CIU's defensive effort resulted in ten total blocks, with Weiss and Gabriela Vega each posting three.

Match TWO: CIU 3 MBU 2 (18-25, 21-25, 25-23, 28-26, 15-10): The Rams would bounce back from a 2-0 set deficit and pull out a tight set three. However, the most pivotal moment of the match came in the waning moments of the fourth set. CIU trailed 26-25 before Camp landed an attack on the Spartan's side of the net. An MBU miscue then set up a Mangum serve, which resulted in an ace, giving CIU the set win and, eventually, the match victory.

Camp produced one of the finest single-match performances for a CIU freshman in program history. The Upstate product recorded 18 kills and six blocks with a .361 attack percentage. Not to be outdone by their freshman teammate, Davis posted 15 kills, and Weiss tallied 14. De Jesus neared the 50-assist mark for the first time this season, recording 46 assists over the five sets. The setter also produced four kills, three aces, and 13 digs. Mangum protected the Ram's side of the net with 26 digs, while Vega contributed to the defensive effort with seven blocks.

What Coach Katie Weiss is saying: "I couldn't be more proud of my team today. We pulled off two big wins and showed incredible heart, fight, and perseverance. You can see in our matches that we play together and for something bigger than ourselves. I'm grateful for every day that I get to coach this team!"

Up Next: The Rams travel to the Onset Invitational in Fort Wayne, Ind., on Aug. 23, where they will face Spring Arbor (Mich.) at 1:15 p.m. EST.