Ohio Valley Conference

CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois continues to dominate at home after speeding past Morehead State in four sets. EIU is now 9-0 at the new Gardella Family Court and has earned their best regular season home record since 2013. The Panthers move to 20-6 (14-2 OVC), while the Eagles fall to 19-8 (13-3 OVC).  

The Eagles looked for revenge after dropping match one; however, both teams were equal early on. Each team took turns scoring until Morehead State found the first momentum boost, holding a small 15-13 advantage heading into the media timeout. The Eagles held strong, continuing to lead 19-15, forcing a late EIU timeout. The run would continue after the timeout, scoring three in a row. The Panthers were unable to attempt a late charge, dropping set one 25-18. 

The Panthers found their footing and dominated the entire second set. Opening with an early 9-5 lead, the Panthers continued to control the crowd with a 15-11 lead heading into the media timeout. After the break in the action, the Panthers steamrolled past the Eagles, scoring six unanswered points, including three Katie Kopshever service aces. With a 23-13 lead, the Panthers felt no trouble en route to a set two victory.  

A pivotal set three was controlled by the Panthers, who exploded right from the jump with six straight points to take the 8-1 lead. Shortly after, the Panthers rattled off four out of the next five points to take a commanding 13-5 lead. The Eagles used both of their timeouts early but were unable to stop the bleeding, falling behind 18-8 after a kill by Destiny Walker and a Catalina Rochaix service ace. The Eagles scored two straight, but the Panthers responded by fueling a 6-0 scoring run to earn a set point. Morehead State did not back down and used a 5-0 scoring run to check back into the set. However, EIU did not panic and closed the set out 25-15 after a kill by Katie Kopshever.  

Like set one, both teams were unable to gain separation early for a 10-10 tie. The tight battle would continue as each team took turns going on mini scoring runs. Heading into the media timeout, the Panthers found a rhythm, scoring two straight, securing a 15-14 advantage. With the set tied at 16 apiece, the Panthers turned it up to eleven and scored five unanswered points between the two Eagles timeouts. Morehead State battled back, narrowing the deficit to three. The Panthers led late 22-19 and battled the rest of the way. EIU used two Eagles errors to earn match points. Lilli Amettis closed out the set with a kill from Catalina Rochaix.  

Katie Kopshever directed the offense, leading the match with 17 kills. As usual, Catalina Rochaix earned the top spot in the assists category with 45. Tori Mohesky added four service aces, and Emma Schroeder recorded a .438 hitting percentage. As a team, EIU held a .302 hitting percentage, 58 kills, 55 assists, 65 digs, and 11 blocks.

UT MARTIN 3, TENNESSEE STATE 2
MARTIN, Tenn. - Playing in its 2025 home finale, the University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball squad fended off a feisty Tennessee State team today via 3-2 triumph (25-18, 19-25, 25-16, 25-27, 15-7) at Skyhawk Fieldhouse.

Moments after UT Martin four-year letterwinners Kayla Bryant and Kristin Phillips were honored for their career contributions as part of a Senior Day ceremony, the two seniors delivered with clutch performances. Bryant went off for a career-best 23 kills on a phenomenal .409 hitting percentage (just five errors in 44 swings) to go along with a team-high 16 digs for her 10th double-double of the season. Phillips also had a hot hand with nine kills on a .350 attack percentage (only two errors in 20 attempts) with a match-high six blocks.

Kylie Surratt (11 kills), Ava Peters (47 assists), Dylan Sulcer (14 digs) and Abby Freund (14 digs) also played a major part in leading the Skyhawks to a season sweep over the Tigers as the match featured 24 tie scores and 10 lead changes.

A Phillips kill fittingly got the match started but Tennessee State took a 5-2 lead. Another Phillips kill started an 8-3 UT Martin run to give the Skyhawks the upper hand. Tennessee State closed to within one point (15-14) but UT Martin never relinquished the lead, ending the set with six of the final seven points – three of which came off Phillips kills (including the set-clincher). Phillips had five kills on five swings for a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage in the opening set.

The Skyhawks claimed a 6-3 advantage in the second set and still led by three points (11-8) before a 6-1 Tiger run flipped the momentum. Three kills from Bryant plus rally killers out of Peters and Ella McFarland knotted the score at 18-all but Tennessee State concluded the set on a 7-1 run. Bryant (.429 hitting percentage) and Surratt (only one error) each had four kills for UT Martin in the second stanza.

Maddy Gladson gave the Skyhawks a spark in the third set, hammering down UT Martin's first two kills as part of a 5-1 lead. The Tigers would not get any closer than two points the rest of the way as the Skyhawks closed out the set in dominant fashion. A Phillips service ace made the score 17-8 and forced Tennessee State to burn a timeout before Gladson (kill, solo block) notched the final two points of the stanza. Gladson had four kills on six tries (.667 attack percentage) and a pair of blocks in the middle set.

The fourth set alone included nine ties and six lead changes as the Tigers clawed back to send the match into a decisive fifth set. UT Martin led by a 12-8 margin but Tennessee State answered with eight of the next nine points. A kill from Carly Mueller wrapped up a lengthy Skyhawk run and gave UT Martin a 21-18 edge but the Tigers continually battled back to extend the match, cashing in on their third shot at set point. Bryant had six kills in the fourth set alone to pace the Skyhawks.

In the winner-take-all final stanza, UT Martin left little doubt – reeling off the first nine points. Bryant was the main culprit of the blazing start with four kills on her own. Tennessee State would not get any closer than six points down the stretch as the Skyhawk defense held them to -.143 hitting (five kills against eight errors) in 21 swings. Bryant owned five of UT Martin's six kills in the fifth set.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, WESTERN ILLINOIS 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri Volleyball (18-12, 10-6 OVC) defeated Western Ill. (7-22, 4-12 OVC) in straight sets, 25-16, 25-15, 25-18, at Houck Field House on Friday. The Redhawks recorded a .309 hitting percentage, leading to the decisive victory.

SEMO took an early lead with a kill by Ramiri Gardner, leveling the score at 2-2. Nina Schuberth provided a momentum shift with a service ace, extending the lead to 6-4. Kara Oxenknecht contributed significantly with multiple kills, aiding in a 5-1 run to push the score to 11-5. Lucy Arndt closed the set with a decisive kill, giving the Redhawks a 25-16 victory.

Marin Johnson initiated the set with a kill, assisted by Alandry Below, giving SEMO an early advantage. Avery Torrey and Oxenknecht each contributed kills to widen the lead for the home team to 6-2. The Leathernecks closed the gap to 6-5 with a service ace from Grace Ulatowski and a block by Elizabeth Ziegler and Grace Kremer. SEMO pulled away with a series of service aces from Below and Schuberth, pushing the score to 24-12. Mackenzie Tucker sealed the set with a kill, assisted by Megan Holder, concluding the set at 25-15.

SEMO opened with a strong 6-1 run, featuring kills from Johnson and Arndt. Schuberth contributed significantly with two service aces and a kill in a crucial stretch, extending the lead to 15-5. Oxenknecht and Katherine St. John added key blocks, maintaining the advantage despite Western Illinois' attempts to close the gap. Southeast Missouri sealed the set 25-18 on a kill by St. John, completing a 3-0 match victory.

LITTLE ROCK 3, TENNESSEE TECH 1
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - During an emotional Friday night at the Jack Stephens Center, Little Rock got to celebrate twice – once pregame when the senior class was honored, and again following a 3-1 victory over Tennessee Tech that pushed the Trojans back into fourth place.

The Trojans (15-13, 10-6 OVC) needed the first set to settle in after a senior ceremony that had emotions running high. But once they found their rhythm, there was little doubt, as Little Rock rolled to set scores of 22-25, 25-13, 25-17, and 25-22.

It was certainly beautiful to see them put it all together once the emotions wore off and the Trojans settled into the action. Little Rock hit .360 in a dominant second set while shutting down the Golden Eagles across the final three frames. Tennessee Tech hit in the negative during the second and third sets and managed just .063 in the fourth, finishing at .047 on the night.

One of six seniors to play her final match at the Jack Stephens Center, middle blocker A'lanae Margaritha hammered down 11 kills on .368 hitting and added four blocks for a total of 15 points.

Bella Cherry led the Trojans with 12 kills, while seniors Jaycee Kennedy and Sophia Garrido added eight apiece, and Avery Fearnley chipped in seven. Five Trojans reached double figures in digs, led by Andrea Roman with 17. Cherry (12), Kaylee Smith (11), Dariana Valencia (10), and Crismeyli Rodriguez (10) all made key defensive contributions. Valencia paced the team with 20 assists, and Smith followed with 17.

SOUTHERN INDIANA 3, LINDENWOOD 1
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Volleyball completes the sweep of Lindenwood University with another four-set win Friday night for the 10th win of the 2025 regular season inside Liberty Arena.
 
The Screaming Eagles maintain their spot in third place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings, moving to 12-4 in conference play and 16-12 overall.
 
Sophomore Audrey Small kicked off the match for the Screaming Eagles with a six-point serving run, gaining a comfortable lead for USI. OVC Freshman of the Week, Aysa Thomas, dished out 10 assists, two kills, and an exciting solo block. Junior Leah Coleman led the Eagles with four kills, followed by freshman Carley Wright, who landed three kills on no errors.

The Screaming Eagles continued to control the advantage after starting set two with a quick lead that they maintained for the entire frame. Wright led the court in the set with six kills on no errors, hitting a .750 percentage. Thomas added eight assists and three more digs, leading her offense to an error less set and a .577 team hitting percentage.
 
Lindenwood bounced back from falling in the first two sets and took a quick lead in the third, which the Eagles struggled to come back from. Junior Ashby Willis doubled her kill count, adding five more to the board to lead the court.
 
The fourth set had the most push and pull from both sides to start off, but the Eagles took the lead by the ninth point and maintained it. Willis had her best set of the night, adding eight kills with no errors to hit a .800 percentage. She also picked up six digs to keep the defensive front up.
 
For the game, Thomas finished with 39 assists, nine digs, four kills, and three blocks. Willis completed a double-double with 18 kills and 10 digs. Small picked up 14 digs and a season-high nine assists. Coleman followed Willis on the offensive attack with 14 kills.