SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Tenneessee State 3, Morehead State 1 (25-17, 20-25, 28-26, 25-21)
Eastern Illinois 3, @UT Martin 2 (25-17, 31-29, 23-25, 22-25, 15-12)
@Belmont 3, Eastern Kentucky 0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-19)
Murray State 3, @Tennessee Tech 1 (22-25, 25-12, 25-22, 25-19)
@Southeast Missouri 3, SIUE 0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-20)
@Jacksonville State 3, Austin Peay 2 (23-25, 26-24, 18-25, 25-16, 15-13)
TENNESSEE STATE 3, MOREHEAD STATE 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee State volleyball team(12-12, 7-5 OVC) notched their seventh conference victory of the season with a 3-1 win Saturday against Morehead State(9-17, 6-6 OVC).
The Tigers jumped out to an early 8-2 lead in the first before forcing Morehead into their first timeout of the game. A strong Tiger offense allowed TSU to take a nine-point lead over the Eagles before a 5-2 run, highlighted by a service ace and kill from freshman Zahria Graham and kills from junior Chloe Watson and senior Haley Hampton, would put the Tigers three points away from victory. A kill from junior Taylor Patterson and two service errors by Morehead State would seal a 25-17 set win for the Tigers.
With the score tied at 10 in the second the Eagles used a 4-1 run to take a 14-11 lead. Morehead State would keep the lead for majority of the set but a persistent Tiger offense would cut away at the deficit to eventually tie things at 20. Tiger errors would contribute to a five-point run by the Eagles, allowing Morehead to take the set 25-20 and tie the match at one set apiece.
After the half, Morehead jumped out to an early 9-3 lead. Morehead would keep control of the match, using a 6-2 run later in the set to extend their lead 20-13. The Tigers continued to push back, using an exciting 12-4 run to tie the game up at 24. The teams would tie things up once more at 25 before a Morehead kill would give the Eagles a 26-25 advantage. A three-point comeback from the Tigers, highlighted by two kills from Hampton and a service ace from Watson would give TSU a 28-26 come-from-behind victory and a 2-1 lead in the match.
Eagles attack errors and three Tiger blocks allowed TSU to jump out to an early 8-3 lead in the fourth. The Tigers would stay in the lead until a 7-3 run allowed the Eagles to tie the set up at 14. Things were back and forth between the teams until a 7-2 run, highlighted by three kills from Patterson, would give the Tigers a 23-19 lead. An Eagle service error and one final kill from Graham would push the Tigers past Morehead State for a 25-21 fourth-set win and a 3-1 conference victory.
The Tigers came out with their newfound confidence, hitting .155 as a team with 46 kills and racking up an impressive 18 blocks.
Senior Haley Hampton led the Tigers offensively, recording her first double-double of the season, recording 13 kills and 11 blocks. Junior Chloe Watson and sophomore Samantha Beltran also recorded double-doubles today. Watson tallied 13 digs and a season-high of 10 blocks while Beltran dished out 37 assists and 12 digs. Senior Madison Halterman led in the back with 20 digs.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, UT MARTIN 2
MARTIN, Tenn. - After dropping a tough five set match last night at SEMO, the EIU volleyball team grinded out another five set match, this time coming out on top against UT Martin (25-17, 31-29, 23-25, 22-25, 15-12) and improve to 9-3 in the OVC.
It took a few quick scores from the Skyhawks in the first set before the Panthers would find their rhythm. After UT Martin gained an early 4-0 lead, EIU would erase the deficit to tie the set at 5-5 with the help of a Taylor Smith ace. A Skyhawk error would put the Panthers ahead by one on the next point, and EIU would hold the lead for the rest of the first game as a Chelsea Lee kill finished the set at 25-17 for EIU.
Once again EIU would find themselves at an early disadvantage to begin the second set, as UT Martin would take the first three points in the set. The Panthers would work their way back into the set and tie the game up at 7-7 behind a Stephanie Wallace service ace, and again at 8-8 following a kill from Abby Saalfrank. UT Martin would then take advantage of a pair of kills from Lael Ceriana and two Panther errors to take a 12-8 lead before an EIU timeout.
Back-to-back kills from Josie Winner and two Skyhawk errors put EIU ahead, 19-18. With the set knotted up at 22-22, the Panthers and Skyhawks would even the score six different times before Lee would provide another kill to give Eastern Illinois a 31-29 second set victory.
The Panthers would take the early lead to begin the third set. The Skyhawks would manage their way back into the set to tie the score at 10-10. Anne Hughes put EIU ahead, 21-17, as EIU appeared as if they would complete the clean sweep with ease. UT Martin played spoiler to a Panther sweep, as they would go on an 8-2 run to steal the third set 25-23 over the Panthers.
The Panthers and Skyhawks would trade leads throughout the beginning of the fourth set until an Allie Hueston kill tied the set at 13-13. EIU would manage to stay within a few points nearing the end of the set, but the Skyhawks were able to force a fifth set following a 25-22 fourth set decision.
A Maria Brown kill combined with a pair of UT Martin errors put the Panthers in front 4-1 to begin the fifth set. EIU would bend but not break as the Skyhawks cut the Panther lead to a single point. Lee would give the Panthers a comfortable 13-8 lead with a kill. Smith would finish off the match for Eastern Illinois with a kill, giving them a 15-12 victory in the fifth set.
Six Panthers – Lee (15), Abby Saalfrank (12), Winner (11), Hueston (11), Smith (10), and Brown (10) – all finished with double-digit kill marks. Wallace again led the defensive efforts posting a 20 dig game. Smith added 28 assists and 16 digs to go along with her 10 kills to earn her seventh triple-double of the season, and second in consecutive games.
Junior outside hitter Madison Wessling dialed up a match-high 17 kills to go along with a career-best 20 digs for UT Martin.
BELMONT 3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Seniors Jocelyn Youngdahl (Stillwater, Minn.) and Regan Kennamer (Huntsville, Ala.) stepped onto the court in the Curb one last time and led Belmont Volleyball (13-11, 10-2 OVC) to a three set victory over Eastern Kentucky (8-20, 7-5 OVC).
Youngahl recorded 10 kills and only one error for an average of .429 along with six digs and two blocks. Fellow senior Kennamer recorded 41 assists on the evening along with nine digs and three total blocks. Sophomore Arianna Person (Lenexa, Kan.) led the offense with 13 kills along with 11 digs and sophomore Brie Lewis (Stillwell, Kan.) recorded 11 kills, three service aces and nine digs. Redshirt freshman Alexa Nichols (Walton, Ky.) finished the evening with an average of .500 recording seven kills. Sophomore Emily Richards (Penfield, N.Y.) led the back row with 14 digs.
Eastern Kentucky jumped out to an early lead in set one taking seven of the first eight points. A six-point run from the Bruins, which included three aces from Lewis, gave Belmont their first advantage of the set 11-10. Belmont trailed 23-21 but fought back and closed out the set 26-24 with two kills from Person.
EKU once again come on strong and took an early 9-5 lead in set two. Belmont responded taking five of the next six points to notch the set at 10. The Colonels roped together a late 5-1 run to take the lead 20-17. Belmont retaliated with three kills and a momentum building block from seniors Youngdahl and Kennamer to tie it up at 21.
In opposition of the first two sets of the match Belmont jumped out to an early 8-5 lead in set three. EKU roped together three straight and tied the set at nine. Bruins responded with four straight and once again took the lead 13-9. The two teams fought for points with Belmont maintaining the advantage, and with a block from Kennamer, an ace from Ivancich and a kill from Person Belmont would take home set three and the match.
MURRAY STATE 3, TENNESSEE TECH 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - For the second match in a row of the weekend, the Murray State volleyball team dropped the first set of its match, only to rally to win the next three to earn a 3-1 victory. This time, it came over Tennessee Tech in Cookeville. Set scores went 22-25, 25-12, 25-22 and 25-19. The Racers improve to 21-2 overall and 11-1 in OVC play.
Scottie Ingram had a huge match for the Racers, leading the team with 16 kills and also added 20 digs and three blocking assists. It was Ingram’s 10th double-double this season. MSU had a fairly balanced attack on the day as Taylor Olden was second on the team with eight kills and also added 10 digs. Alyssa Lelm and Kristen Besselsen added seven and six kills, respectively. Besselsen also added 11 digs and led the team, along with Lelm and Olivia Chatman, with five total blocks in the victory.
As a team, the Racers out-blocked TTU (6-19, 4-8 OVC) 12-6 and recorded a team hitting percentage of .157 while holding the Golden Eagles to just an .043 clip overall. TTU did record six service aces to MSU’s three in the match.
Sam Bedard had another solid match, leading the team with 37 assists and also tallying 16 digs. Ellie Lorenz recorded a team-high 26 digs in the win. Besselsen, Ingram and Audrey Lewis recorded the Racers’ three serving aces.
SOUTEHAST MISSOURI 3, SIUE 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (10-15, 6-6 OVC) defeated SIUE (13-12, 8-3 OVC) in three sets Saturday night at Houck Field House (25-22, 25-19, 25-20).
Saturday was the Redhawks' annual Breast Cancer Survivor Night. During the intermission, the Redhawks honored several breast cancer survivors as the month of October and Dig for Life draws to a close.
Feeding off the energy from the previous night's victory, the Redhawks sprung to an early 11-4 lead over the Cougars. Krissa Gearring began to control the set, tallying several kills and giving Southeast a 19-14 lead. SIUE recovered, fighting back late in the frame, eventually finding themselves down by two, 24-22. Nzingha Clarke, however, earned her third kill of the frame to give an early match lead to the Redhawks, winning the set 25-22. Gearring finished the set with an astounding eight kills and a .400 hitting clip.
The Redhawks pressured the Cougars early in the second set, taking another early 11-4 lead. Southeast was able to maintain a healthy lead throughout the frame, finishing off SIUE 25-19 and taking a 2-0 lead in the match. Gearring tallied another five kills in the frame as strong defense by the Redhawks set the tone for the rest of the match.
Fighting back, the Cougars remained close with the Redhawks throughout much of the third frame. Tied at 16, Taylor Masterson earned a huge kill off Katarinna Rotta's set to take the lead. SIUE again tied the match at 18 before another kill by Gearring gave Southeast its final needed spark. The Redhawks went on to finish the set 25-20, sweeping the Cougars in straight sets.
Gearring finished the match with 16 kills, followed by Werths with 10. Gearring's 17 points in the match was the highest of the season for the Redhawks in three set matches, toping her own mark set on Sept. 4 against Gardner-Webb. As a team, the Redhawks had 43 kills with a .327 attack percentage. Jade Mortimer led with 13 of Southeast's 42 digs while Keegan Fornoff and Rotta each tallied 17 assists in the match.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, AUSTIN PEAY 2
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The Jacksonville State volleyball team put an exclamation-point finish to an exciting Homecoming Day at JSU, rallying to beat Austin Peay in five sets (23-25, 26-24, 18-25, 25-16, 15-3).
The Gamecocks (13-18, 3-9 Ohio Valley Conference) fell behind 2-1 in the match, before a determined comeback effort led to victories in games four and five. The Lady Govs dropped to 6-21 over and 1-11 in league action.
Sophomore Zuhlke blew away her previous career best of 18 kills, finishing Saturday night with 23. The Tomball, Texas, product hit .340 and was the driving force for the Gamecock offense in several critical times during the match.
Freshman Rombach topped Zuhlke's hitting mark with a team-high .391 attack percentage. She had 11 kills and just two errors. Across the net, the first-year standout also recorded four blocks, three of which were solos.
Senior Emily Rutherford tied Rombach's 11 kills and had 17 digs in a big double-double performance. Pacing Jax State's offense was sophomore setter Jennifer Hart. The native of Davidson, N.C., also had a double-double with 17 digs and a new season-high 55 assists, coming within six of her career-best standard of 61.
Sophomore libero Hannah Kirk did set a new a new personal best with her 27 digs. Her best so far in 2015 was 21, and previous high in her career came a year ago versus Tennessee Tech in the OVC Tournament when she recorded 26 digs.
A night that finished in excitement, didn't look as bright for the Gamecocks early on. JSU trailed 23-19 in the first set, when pair of kills from Rombach was part of a 3-0 run to pull within a point, 23-22. APSU closed out the set 25-23.
In the second set, Zuhlke stepped up with nine of her 23 kills coming in the frame. Much like the first, the set was back-and-forth almost even the entire way. However this time, it was JSU that broke away from a 22-22 tie to win 26-24.
APSU hit a match-best .310 in the third for a comfortable 25-18 victory. JSU responded with 14 kills to take a critical fourth set, 25-16, forcing a decisive fifth frame.
An electric crowd for most of the night held its breath as JSU fell behind 8-5 to begin the fifth. Freshman Kim Krutsinger had a couple of key kills to help trim the deficit to one, 10-9. She ended the night with seven kills overall and four blocks. Sophomore Charis Ludtke began and finished the final comeback for JSU down the stretch. Ludtke's kill while trailing 13-11 began a thrilling 4-0 run for the Gamecocks which was capped by Ludtke's service ace to seal the victory.