SATURDAY'S SCORES
Murray State 3, USC Upstate 0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-11)
Austin Peay 3, Bryant 0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-12)
Evansville 3,
Morehead State 1 (18-25, 26-24, 28-25, 25-22)
Northern Kentucky 3,
SIUE 2 (25-18, 21-25, 25-9, 23-25, 15-9)
@Memphis 3,
UT Martin 0 (31-29, 25-18, 25-17)
Eastern Kentucky 3, IPFW 0 (26-21, 25-23, 25-22)
#12 Nebraska 3,
Eastern Kentucky 0 (25-12, 25-23, 25-7)
@Georgia 3,
Belmont 0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-19)
Belmont 3, Chattanooga 0 (25-13, 25-23, 25-14)
Morgan State 3,
Tennessee Tech 0 (25-13, 25-23, 25-14)
UNC Wilmington 3,
Tennessee Tech 1 (25-22, 18-25, 25-17, 25-17)
Murray State 3, Howard 0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-17)
@Indiana 3,
Southeast Missouri 0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-17)
Miami (Ohio) 3,
Southeast Missouri 0 (25-23, 27-25, 25-19)
Ole Miss 3,
UT Martin 1 (27-25, 25-14, 20-25, 25-14)
SIUE 3,
Samford 1 (25-17, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23)
@Akron 3,
Austin Peay 0 (25-20, 25-18, 27-25)
Cincinnati 3,
Tennessee State 1 (25-11, 20-25, 25-21, 27-25)
Saint Louis 3,
Eastern Illinois 1 (24-26, 25-20, 25-18, 25-22)
Eastern Illinois 3, UTEP 1 (25-22, 21-25, 27-25, 27-25)
AUSTIN PEAY 3, BRYANT 0; AKRON 3, AUSTIN PEAY 0
AKRON, Ohio - Austin Peay State University’s volleyball team enjoyed a better start to its morning, posting its season’s first three-set sweep (25-19, 25-20, 25-12) against Bryant, Saturday, in the Akron Invitational at Rhodes Arena.
Austin Peay (3-4) had to post a come-from-behind effort to win the first set. Bryant scored the set’s first three points and it took a 4-0 Austin Peay run to wrest the lead away, 11-9. The Bulldogs would tie the set one more time at 11-11, but the Lady Govs used a kill from freshman outside hitter Christina White to retake the lead for good. A set-ending 6-2 run resulted in the 25-19 APSU win.
The Lady Govs won the second set in wire-to-wire fashion. Austin Peay opened with the set’s first two points and built a 6-2 lead. That lead would reach nine points, 12-3, with senior setter Cami Fields serving Austin Peay to six consecutive points. Bryant would get no closer than four points the rest of the way and senior middle blocker Liz Landon ended the threat and the set with a kill for the 25-20 win.
It was nearly a wire-to-wire effort in the third set, Bryant (2-6) would force a pair of lead changes, but Austin Peay built a 7-2 lead thanks to six straight points on Landon’s serve. The Lady Govs were not threatened the rest of the way, with a 10-3 run later in the set sealing the match.
White followed up her 19-kill performance against Binghamton with a team-best 10 kills against Bryant. Senior middle blocker Hillary Plybon added nine kills and four blocks in the win. Sophomore outside hitter Sammie Ebright added eight kills.
Austin Peay needed only 43 kills to post the sweep, committing 15 errors to record a .226 attack percentage. The Lady Govs also recorded seven blocks.
Bryant was held to 27 kills in the loss, finishing with a .047 attack percentage. Elena Lohr led the effort with a seven-kill performance.
Austin Peay State University’s volleyball team wrapped up its stay at the Akron Invitational suffering a three-set loss (20-25, 18-25, 25-27) to host Akron, Saturday, in Rhodes Arena.
Akron (5-3) took control of the first two sets early on. The Zips first set win saw them counter a 4-0 Austin Peay run with a 5-0 run of its own to take a 9-7 lead it would not relinquish. The second set was nearly won wire-to-wire with Austin Peay holding leads of 1-0 and 2-1 before Akron scored seven of the next nine points to take an 8-4 lead en route to a 25-18 win that gave it a two-set lead.
Austin Peay (3-5) and Akron locked horns in the third set which featured 21 ties and nine lead changes and saw neither team led by more than two points. Akron had the first match point opportunity at 24-23, but was denied by senior middle blocker Hillary Plybon’s kill. Senior outside hitter Jada Stotts followed with another kill to give APSU set point at 25-24. However, the Lady Govs could not capitalize while Akron scored the match’s final three points, including a pair of service aces.
Stotts led Austin Peay with a 15-kill outing in which she hit .297. Plybon and senior middle blocker Liz Landon had seven kills each. Junior setter Aubrey Marsellis was named to the all-tournament team after leading the Lady Govs with 107 assists (7.64 per set) and seven service aces.
The Lady Govs finished with 39 kills and were limited to a .179 attack percentage. Austin Peay had trouble with errors again, committing 18 attack errors, seven service errors and three blocking errors.
Amanda Bedell led Akron with 11 kills and a .500 attack percentage. The Zips recorded 37 kills in the match and helped their cause with 14 service aces.
Austin Peay will take the upcoming week off before competing in the Holiday Inn University Plaza Invitational, hosted by Western Kentucky, Friday-Saturday.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 3, IPFW 0; NEBRASKA 3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 0
DAYTON, Ohio - Eastern Kentucky ran its winning streak to five straight after beating IPFW on Saturday morning at the Flyer-Raider Invitational in Dayton, Ohio. The Colonels fell to No. 12 Nebraska, 3-0, in their second match of the day.
EKU (6-2) handed IPFW its first loss of the season by scores of 26-24, 25-23 and 25-22. Nebraska snapped Eastern’s winning streak by scores of 25-12, 25-23 and 25-7.
Alexis Plagens finished with a match-best 19 kills against IPFW (4-1). She had only two errors in 28 attempts for a .607 attack percentage. Ally Peters contributed eight kills and did not make an error in 16 attempts. Freshman Ciera Koons led the team with four blocks. Senior setter Abbey Cvelbar posted a match-best 39 assists and Dena Ott led all players with 13 digs.
The Mastodons were led by Emily Spencer’s 15 kills.
The Colonels had five fewer kills than IPFW, but made only eight errors in 89 attempts for a .404 attack percentage. The Mastodons had 17 attack errors and 11 service errors.
Plagens added eight kills against Nebraska. Freshman Celina Sanks added seven kills. Kelsey Fien posted a match-best 14 kills for the Cornhuskers.
Nebraska had 40 kills and only seven errors for a .398 attack percentage. EKU hit .053 after totaling 25 kills and 20 errors.
INDIANA 3, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0; MIAMI (OHIO) 3, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Southeast Missouri volleyball team suffered two sweeps at day two of the Indiana Invitational Saturday at the hands of the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks.
Southeast falls to 1-6 on the young 2014 season.
In all, there were six sets in which Southeast scored 20 or more points on the weekend in which they lost.
After power failures at University Gymnasium, the final three matches of the tournament were moved across campus to Assembly Hall, Indiana's basketball arena.
Southeast Missouri gave the Hoosiers a run for their money in the second match of the day. The Redhawks fell in three sets (23-25, 23-25, 17-25) but fought a close battle throughout.
The Redhawks came out of the gate strong but quickly fell behind in the first set. IU was able to take a lead on the Redhawks and hold it the rest of the set. Down 24-20, Southeast put up three straight points to close in on the Hoosiers, 24-23. IU was able to hold off the Redhawks and wrap up the set, 25-23, and take a 1-0 lead in the match. Andrea Baylin had five kills in the set. Both teams tallied 16 kills in the opening stanza and each had respectable hitting clips; Southeast hit .297 while IU hit .469.
The Redhawks fell by the same score in the second set as Indiana took a 2-0 lead in the match. The set was tied a total of 11 times. Tied at 21, the Hoosiers were able to pull ahead just enough to allow them to swipe the set right from under the Redhawks.
Errors were the name of the game in the third set as both teams combined for 17 attack errors and only recording a combined 16 kills. In fact, Southeast's attack percentage was .000 while Indiana hit in the red for -.045. On top of that, the Redhawks had six service errors. Indiana took the third and final set by a score of 25-17.
Baylin and Krissa Gearring each had 10 kills in the match. Katarina Rotta tallied a new career-high four kills with 29 assists.
On paper, Indiana narrowly out-played Southeast. IU out-killed the Redhawks 41-39; had more digs 44-36; and out-blocked 5-3.
Southeast's second sweep of the day was handed over by the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks (23-25, 25-27, 19-25).
Miami was able to jump out in front 6-0 thanks in part to five service aces. The Redhawks were slowly able to chip away at the early Miami lead and tie the score at 13. From there, the score was tied eight more times, though Southeast never led in the set. Tied at 23, Miami used a kill and a Redhawk attack error to take the opening set.
Southeast found their first lead of the match to begin the second set, leading as much as four points. Much like Southeast in set one, Miami was able to overcome the early deficit and tie the match at 13. The set was tied a total of 10 times. Down 24-23, a kill by Taylor Masterson tied it at 24. A Miami attack error gave the Redhawks a lead and put them in position for set point. However, this would be it for Southeast as Miami used three-straight points to steal the set away and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Redhawks lost set three, 25-19, suffering their second sweep of the day. Miami led the entire set on their way to the sweep of Southeast.
Masterson was the only Redhawk with a double-digit kill count with 11 while hitting .333.
The Redhawks return to action Thursday and Friday at the ISTAP Collegiate Cup 2 hosted by Alabama State.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 3, SIUE 2; SIUE 3, SAMFORD 1
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - IUE boasted its best offensive match of the early season Saturday at the Northern Kentucky Volleyball Invitational.
The Cougars, 3-4, hit .350 as a team in a four-set win over Samford. SIUE won the match 25-17, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23. Earlier in the day, SIUE and host Northern Kentucky played to a five-set thriller with the Cougars falling 25-18, 21-25, 25-9, 23-25, 15-9.
Kristen Torre turned in the top offensive performance of her career with 18 kills on 27 attacks against Samford. She tied teammate Ashley Witt for the team lead in blocks with six.
The Cougars pounded out 58 kills in the four sets against Samford, including 15 from Witt and 10 from Emily Harrison.
SIUE recorded 11 blocks against Samford and nine in Saturday's earlier match with Northern Kentucky. Johnson said the Cougars will continue to make progress on their blocking game at the net.
The Cougars now have a week to prepare for their next tournament. SIUE has its first action at the Vadalabene Center this season Friday with a 7 p.m. match against Southern Utah. The Cougar Classic features five teams and a three-day tournament. The field includes Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Arkansas State, and Indiana State.
GEORGIA 3, BELMONT 0; BELMONT 3, CHATTANOOGA 0
ATHENS, Ga. - Belmont volleyball ended the 2014 Georgia Bulldog Invitational on a high note as the Bruins swept UT Chattanooga Saturday afternoon (25-13, 25-23, 25-14) in order to notch their second victory of the season.
Youth continued to lead the way for Belmont (2-5) as three freshmen posted double-doubles on the match and the Bruins recorded their first sweep of the season.
Arianna Person (Lenexa, Kan.) made an impact both offensively and defensively for BU as the outside hitter finished with 12 kills to go along with a team-leading 14 digs.
BU's Brie Lewis (Stillwell, Kan.) posted her first double-double of her career as the rookie tallied 10 kills to go along with 10 digs.
Redshirt freshman Emma Price (Fort Mill, S.C.) continued to facilitate the offense for the Bruins as the setter finished with 36 assists and chipped in 10 digs.
Belmont finished with a season-best .306 hitting percentage as the Bruins racked up 45 kills on the match.
BU's defense held the offensive attack of UTC (1-6) in check allowing the Mocs to just a .072 hitting percentage.
The Bruins return to action Friday as Belmont is set to meet Virginia Tech at noon in their opening match of the 2014 Blue Raider Bash on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University.
CINCINNATI 3, TENNESSEE STATE 1
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Tennessee State University volleyball fell to the University of Cincinnati on Friday at Cardinal Arena three sets to one to finish up the Active Ankle Challenge.
The Tigers (0-6) dropped recorded their first set victory of the season in set number two after dropping the first set to the Bearcats (3-3). TSU recorded 20 kills to just two errors in that set. Three Tigers finished the match with double-digit kills as senior Naomi Wells led all scorers with 17 kills followed by senior Taylor Swayzer with 12 and junior Haley Hampton with 10.
“We came into this tournament with the idea to get that off our plate, win a set,” head coach Kathy Roulhac said. “We did that, and now we can build from there.”
Wells recorded her third double-double of the season as she added 15 digs to her slate of kills. She wasn’t the only Tiger double-double, though, as freshman Samantha Beltran broke out with 43 assists and 11 digs.
Swayzer almost had a perfect match, attacking wise, as she committed three errors at the end to break it up. Sophomore Arijana Anderson was one kill shy of joining the triumvirate as she had nine kills.
“We got a lot of great performances from our attackers. They responded well to the meeting I had with them the other day and I was very happy with what I saw.”
The fourth set of the match, TSU’s first experience in that set this year, extended all the way until the Bearcats took it 27-25. The Tigers were giving it up for every ball and just missed extending the match to a fifth set.
TSU will return to action on Tuesday as they travel to Huntsville to play Alabama A&M. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.
MORGAN STATE 3, TENNESSEE TECH 0; UNC WILMINGTON 3, TENNESSEE TECH 1
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The Tennessee Tech volleyball team wrapped up the weekend at the East Carolina Invitational, falling to both Morgan State and the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
For the second-straight day, the Golden Eagles (1-6) had a better outing in their second match of the day, despite the 3-1 loss to the UNCW Seahawks; 25-22, 18-25, 25-17, and 25-17.
The Seahawks, who are now 6-1, had not dropped a set through the whole tournament until they faced the Golden Eagles.
Junior Cody Dodd, who recorded a career-best 18 kills against Norfolk State last night, matched that number with 18 kills against the Seahawks. She also added a career-best 20 digs, for her second double-double in as many days, adding three aces and two blocks. Dodd's performance over the weekend earned her a spot on the East Carolina Invitational All-Tournament team.
Freshman Kellie Williams added 11 kills and sophomore Irem Sile put away a career-high nine kills against the Seahawks. Senior Madison Keyes added seven kills as well. Continuing on her strong weekend, freshman Jordan Wachowiak put away six kills on 14 swings with no errors for an impressive clip of .429. She also added a team-high three blocks, which put her at an impressive 19 blocks for the weekend. Senior libero Courtney Smith corralled a game-high 25 digs.
UNCW was led but Morgan Kline who put away 12 kills and added 14 digs, while Nicole Lott added 11 kills.
In the Golden Eagles first match of the day they faced the Morgan State Bears. The Bears got the upper hand, taking the set 3-0; 25-13, 26-24, and 25-15.
Dodd again led the Golden Eagles with 15 kills on a .324 hitting percentage, adding four blocks as well. Sophomore setter Sharon Anderson dished out 25 assists and added seven digs.
Wachowiak was a wall in the front, tallying a career-high eight blocks, including two solos. She also added four kills.
The Bears were very efficient, hitting at a clip of .322. They were led by Arianna Hayden who put away 11 kills. Carmen Fernadez collected 31 assists and a match-high 10 digs.
The Golden Eagles head to Lake Charles, La. for the McNeese State Invitational where they will face Alcorn State, host McNeese State, Louisiana-Monroe, and Prairie View A&M.
EVANSVILLE 3, MOREHEAD STATE 1
KENT, Ohio - The Morehead State volleyball team won the opening set in its final Hampton Inn Golden Flashes Classic match on Saturday at the M.A.C. Center, but Evansville responded with three consecutive stanza victories to take the match. Set scores were 18-25, 26-24, 28-26 and 25-22.
The Purple Aces, who compete in the Missouri Valley Conference, improve to 2-5 on the year. The Eagles, who play in the Ohio Valley Conference, have dropped all six matches this season.
The back-and-forth affair featured 31 ties and 13 lead changes. The score was knotted on 10 occasions in both the second and third sets. UE finishes 2-1 in the four-team weekend event.
Junior middle blocker Hannah Sigala led four Eagles in double-figure kills with 17, while senior middle blocker Laura McDermott contributed 13. Morehead State posted a .556 attack percentage in the opening set en route to .213 for the afternoon. McDermott hit .360, while Sigala hit .333.
Morehead State senior setter Colbey Cameron registered 27 assists, while sophomore setter Bailey Nichol collected 26. Sigala was credited with a team-best five blocks, while sophomore outside hitter Hope Rillema helped the Eagles to a 56-48 digs advantage with a match-high 17.
Evansville used three solo blocks and 16 block assists to force 30 attack errors. The Eagles also committed 12 service errors and seven blocking miscues.
UE senior outside hitter Ashley Ring notched a match-best 21 kills, swung 56 times and finished with a .250 hitting percentage. Junior setter Lorena Marquez distributed a match-high 38 assists for the Purple Aces, while senior middle blocker Meaghan Holmes rejected six attacks.
The Eagles return to Wetherby Gym for next weekend's Comfort Inn and Suites Invitational. MSU will be joined by No. 17 Arizona State, No. 24 Louisville and Northern Illinois in the two-day, non-conference tournament. The action begins with MSU vs. NIU on Friday at 10 a.m. ET.
MEMPHIS 3, UT MARTIN 0; OLE MISS 3, UT MARTIN 1
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team dropped a pair of tough matches this afternoon as the Skyhawks fell 3-0 to Memphis (29-31, 18-25, 17-25) and 3-1 to Ole Miss (25-27, 14-25, 25-20, 14-25) in the final day of a tournament hosted by Memphis.
At the conclusion of the tournament, sophomore libero Colleen Larson was named to the all-tournament team. The Naperville, Ill. native compiled 39 digs in the three matches, including a season-high 18 in the nightcap against Ole Miss.
UT Martin returns to action next weekend when it hosts the Skyhawk Invitational on Sept. 12-13. The Skyhawks will take on the likes of Drake, Western Carolina and Valparaiso during the two-day event at Skyhawk Fieldhouse.
Emily Keaton and Madison Wessling each tallied nine kills to lead the Skyhawk offense while Madison Bergren and Amanda Crask both handed out 15 assists. Larson compiled a team-high 10 digs to direct the UT Martin defensive attack.
The Skyhawks led for a majority of the early going in the first set before a 6-1 Memphis run resulted in a 13-8 Tiger lead. UT Martin came right back with a 6-1 run of its own to even the score at 14-all. Another lengthy run (5-1) followed for the Skyhawks, who emerged with a 20-18 advantage after a Larson ace. However, Memphis would mount a comeback and after eight more ties followed, the Tigers came out on top.
Keaton (six kills) and Wessling (five kills) each started off strong for UT Martin.
Kills by Keaton and Wessling opened the second set to give the Skyhawks a 2-0 lead but Memphis then went on a 7-1 run and eventually would lead 12-4 before an Allie Whimpey kill and Lael Ceriani service ace. UT Martin pieced together a 6-2 run to get within three points at 15-12 but Memphis would soon take a 23-14 advantage. Whimpey was responsible for two kills during a quick 4-0 Skyhawk spurt that made the score 23-18 but the Tigers answered with the next two points to claim the set.
UT Martin once again led early in the third set but Memphis would soon take an 11-7 lead. Two kills by Wessling in the span of three points cut the Skyhawk deficit down to three points at 14-11 but the Tigers pieced together a 9-3 run to go ahead by a 23-14 margin. Keaton and Mandy Glon would contribute kills after that point but Memphis would eventually claim the set.
Keaton (17 kills) and Whimpey (10 kills) each cracked double-figures in the kill column but it wasn’t enough for the Skyhawks to pull off the upset of the Southeastern Conference member Ole Miss.
Bergren compiled eight kills and 44 assists to help complement UT Martin’s offense while Larson’s 18 digs led the defense. Keaton and Wessling also added 12 digs apiece.
The Skyhawks led 4-2 in the first set but four straight points by the Rebels resulted in a 6-4 advantage. UT Martin would reclaim the lead on four different occasions but Ole Miss tallied five of six points to go on top by a 15-12 margin. The Rebels led 24-20 but the Skyhawks fought back – as two Bergren kills keyed a 4-0 UT Martin run that knotted the score at 24-all. The two teams were tied at 25-25 until Ole Miss scored two straight points to end the set.
Bergren had 14 assists while Keaton’s seven digs guided the Skyhawks in the first set.
Both squads led early in the second set before the score was tied at 7-all. A 5-1 Rebel run gave Ole Miss a 15-10 lead but the Skyhawks battled back to get within four points (18-14) off a Whimpey kill. However, the Rebels closed out the set with seven unanswered points.
Keaton compiled four kills in the second set to lead UT Martin.
The Skyhawks jumped out to a hot start in the third set, scoring three of the first four points behind a pair of kills by Keaton. Another Keaton kill gave UT Martin an 8-4 lead but Ole Miss clawed back to even the score at 15-15. The Skyhawks followed with four straight points, receiving kills from Julia Devinney, Bergren and Keaton in that span. The Rebels got within three points at 23-20 but a Wessling kill and assisted block by Devinney and Whimpey gave the Skyhawks the victory.
Keaton’s five kills and Bergren’s 14 assists helped UT Martin claim the third set.
Ole Miss led 4-1 in the fourth set and would later lead 10-4 before a Keaton kill stopped the run. Another Keaton kill kept the margin at six points (15-9) but the Rebels ran off four consecutive points to go ahead 19-9. The Skyhawks would score three straight points to get back within single-digits but Ole Miss closed out the set scoring five of the final eight points.
Keaton added five more kills in the fourth set to cap off her stellar effort.
SAINT LOUIS 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1; EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, UTEP 1
MACOMB, Ill. - Eastern Illinois volleyball split final day action to earn Western Illinois Invitational team runner-up honors as the Panthers lost to champion Saint Louis but outlasted UTEP by identical four-set contests.
EIU fell to the Billikens (24-26, 25-20, 25-18, 25-22) in the morning before gutting out a win over the MIners (25-22, 21-25, 27-25, 27-25) to move to 4-2 on the early season.
Junior Abby Saalfrank continued her hot weekend play as she secured two additional kill-dig double-doubles on the day. She tallied 13 kills and 10 digs versus SLU and then added 22 put-downs and 12 ups against UTEP, on top of her duo-duo agains the host Leathernecks on Friday. For her efforts she nabbed all-tournament honors, as EIU freshman Allie Hueston received her first all-tourney recognition as well.
Junior Chelse Lee and newcomer Maria Brown added 12 kills each in the loss to the Billikens as Lee led all Panthers with a .310 attack. Junior Stephanie Wallace led the backrow defense with 17 digs, while Lee tied senior Kelsey Roggemann with three blocks at the net.
The loss to SLU featured 26 tie scores and 10 lead changes as the Panthers out-hit the Billikens .231-to-.175 in the first frame win, before the eventual tourney champs countered by out-hitting EIU the rest of the way for the four-set win.
In EIU's final tourney matchup versus the Miners, Lee chipped in 13 additional kills for EIU, while Wallace led all players on the court with 25 digs. Defensive specialists Kelsey Brooke and Dakota Springer added respective 14 and 16 ups as Eastern held the dig advantage over UTEP, 84-to-81.
The squad from west Texas actually led the Panthers in team kills, attack, blocks, and points, yet EIU did out-pace UTEP in assists and aces.
Panthers continue early-season tourney action next weekend as EIU travels to Brookings, S.D. to partake in the two-day South Dakota State Challenge versus Iowa, North Dakota and the host Jackrabbit.
MURRAY STATE 3, USC UPSATE 0; MURRAY STATE 3, HOWARD 0
LYNCHBURG, Va. - Recap coming soon.