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Match 8: #1 UT Martin 3, #4 Morehead State 2
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#1 UT MARTIN 3, #4 MOREHEAD STATE 2
MOREHEAD, Ky. - UT Martin completed a perfect three-match run through the 2022 OVC Beach Volleyball Championship to claim its first crown in the second year of the event.
After finishing as runners-up a year ago, the Skyhawks topped Morehead State in the first round, Chattanooga in the semifinals and MSU in the championship match.
With the win the Skyhawks earn the automatic qualifier for the NCAA Championship. This year's field will be 16 teams, up from eight a year ago.
Once again, the Skyhawks displayed their high-quality depth today as UT Martin earned victories at the No. 3 through No. 5 positions in the lineup. The Skyhawks raced out to an early 2-0 advantage behind a dominant Brooke Kuball/Addy Vaughn 21-18, 21-9 victory at No. 5 and a Kayla Carrell/Addison Conley 21-18, 21-18 win at No. 4.
Rather than hang their heads, Morehead State pieced together a ruthless rally – storming back to win the first set in all three matchups in the second wave. After UT Martin’s No. 1 tandem of Karen Scanlon/Logan Wallick barely fell 21-16, 21-18 and the Skyhawks’ No. 2 duo of Dylan Mott/Hannah Phillips were narrowly defeated by a 22-20, 21-14 margin, all eyes were averted to the winner-take-all No. 3 matchup.
UT Martin’s Kambree Lucas/Haeleigh Paulino had already battled back to force a decisive third set but found themselves in a 12-10 deficit. The Skyhawks’ No. 3 pair withstood the pressure and calmly dialed up four unanswered points before the Eagles broke the run with a point of their own. On its second opportunity at match point, UT Martin managed a clean reception off the Morehead State serve and Paulino provided the match-clinching kill, capping off a 14-21, 21-17, 15-13 victory and sending the Skyhawks into a frenzied dogpile on the court.
Following the match, UT Martin landed four players on the OVC All-Tournament team. Carrell/Conley nabbed Tournament Most Valuable Player accolades after going 3-0 in the event and improving their season record to 24-1. Minutes after their victory clinched the OVC title, Lucas/Paulino also earned a spot on the five-team OVC All-Tournament team.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Baylee Young/Gylian Finch, Chattanooga
Allison Whitten/Olivia Lohmeier, Morehead State
Margaret Musselman/Anya Reinhard, Morehead State
Haeleigh Paulino/Kambree Lucas, UT Martin
Kayla Carrel/Addison Conley, UT Martin (MVP)
| MATCH #8: #1 UT Martin 3, #4 Morehead State 2 |
| Flight |
UT Martin |
Morehead State |
Set 1 |
Set 2 |
Set 3 |
| 1 |
Scanlon/Wallick |
|
16 |
18 |
|
|
|
Whitten/Lohmeier |
21 |
21 |
|
| 2 |
Phillips/Mott |
|
20 |
14 |
|
|
|
Williams/Montelisciani |
22 |
21 |
|
| 3 |
Paulino/Lucas |
|
14 |
21 |
15 |
|
|
Musselman/Reinhard |
21 |
17 |
13 |
| 4 |
Carrell/Conley |
|
21 |
21 |
|
|
|
Miller/Hulsman |
18 |
18 |
|
| 5 |
Kuball/Vaughn |
|
21 |
21 |
|
|
|
Bessler/Alexander |
18 |
9 |
|