SATURDAY'S SCORES
Jacksonville State 3, Alabama State 0 (25-12, 25-20, 25-10)
Purdue 3,
@Austin Peay 0 (25-10, 25-22, 25-19)
Valparasio 3,
Eastern Kentucky 0 (25-15, 25-12, 27-25)
@Georgia Tech 3,
UT Martin 0 (25-23, 25-8, 25-13)
Murray State 3, Western Carolina 0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-15)
DePaul 3,
SIUE 0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-19)
UMKC 3,
@Southeast Missouri 0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-14)
Eastern Illinois 3, Central Michigan 2 (19-25, 24-26, 25-15, 25-20, 15-13)
Murray State 3, Georgia State 0 (25-6, 25-21, 25-20)
Wright State 3,
@Tennessee Tech 0 (25-10, 25-19, 25-15)
Niagara 3,
@Tennessee Tech 1 (25-21, 15-25, 25-21, 25-21)
@Ole Miss 3,
Tennessee State 1 (22-25, 25-9, 25-22, 25-15)
Indiana State 3,
@Morehead State 2 (25-19, 25-27, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12)
Albany 3,
Belmont 2 (20-25, 25-13, 25-22, 24-26, 15-9)
Siena 3,
UT Martin 1 (15-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-18)
VCU 3,
Austin Peay 1 (25-22, 25-23, 25-27, 25-13)
Oral Roberts 3,
Tennessee State 0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-18)
Eastern Illinois 3, @IPFW 0 (25-18, 25-18, 28-26)
@Chattanooga 3,
Eastern Kentucky 0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-15)
Kennesaw State 3,
Jacksonville State 0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-15)
PURDUE 3, AUSTIN PEAY 0; VCU 3, AUSTIN PEAY 1
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Redshirt junior outside hitter Samantha Strother and senior outside hitter Sammie Ebright combined for 14 kills but Austin Peay State University’s volleyball team dropped a three-set decision (25-10, 25-22, 25-19) to host Purdue, Saturday morning, at the Mortar Board Premier at Holloway Gymnasium.
Purdue (2-0), which entered the season receiving votes in the AVCA preseason poll, broke open the first set early, racing out to a 13-2 lead which an Austin Peay timeout could not stem. The Boilermakers kept the pressure on after the early burst, scoring 12 of the final 19 points to secure a 25-10 victory.
Purdue led the second set wire-to-wire as well, but Austin Peay (1-1) made a game of it early and late. The Lady Govs closed within three points, 7-4, on a Samantha Strother kill. Purdue would respond by building a nine-point, 14-5, lead courtesy an 8-1 run.
That was the largest lead Purdue would enjoy as Austin Peay began cutting into that deficit after trailing 18-9. A 7-2 Lady Govs run trimmed the Purdue lead to 20-16 and was helped along by two more Strother kills. Austin Peay would close within two points, 24-22, but could not put back-to-back points together late and fell 25-22.
Austin Peay enjoyed its only lead of the match courtesy Ebright’s kill on the third set’s opening rally. The Lady Govs would force two ties in the early going, first at 4-4 then at 5-5, but again Purdue pieced together a run that gave it breathing room.
Purdue’s 6-2 run after that 5-5 tie gave it a four-point, 11-7 advantage it would not relinquish. Austin Peay closed within a point twice at 11-10 and 12-11, but would get no closer as Purdue held on for the 25-19 victory.
Strother led Austin Peay with eight kills while Ebright chipped in six kills and the duo combined for 14 of APSU’s 25 kills. The Lady Govs were held to a .083 attack percentage in the contest. Freshman setter Kristen Stucker saw extended action for the first time this season and had 18 assists and a block in two sets.
Annie Drews led Purdue with 12 kills while posting a .391 attack percentage. The Boilermakers finished with 48 kills and a .379 team attack percentage.
Redshirt junior outside hitter Samantha Strother posted a career-high tying 16 kills but Austin Peay State University’s volleyball team dropped a four-set decision (22-25, 23-25, 27-25, 13-25), in its final match of the Mortar Board Premier at Holloway Gymnasium.
Austin Peay (0-3) will be left to wonder what could have been after it fought back from deficits in both the first and second sets to tie each set at 22-22 only to watch VCU hold off the charge each time to win the set.
In the opening set, VCU (1-2) scored the first three points and ultimately built a five-point lead, 15-10. The Lady Govs closed that gap with a four-point burst that included kills by Strother and senior setter Aubrey Marsellis as well as a solo block by sophomore Ashley Slay.
Austin Peay would eventually tie the set at 17-17 and again at 21-21. Freshman Cecily Gable would give APSU its first lead with a kill for a 22-21 advantage. But Austin Peay couldn’t produce the run it needed, instead VCU took advantage of three straight APSU miscues before finishing the set with a service ace for the 25-22 victory.
VCU threatened a blowout in the second set, racing out to a 9-3 lead and eventually built a 10-point, 20-10 lead. Austin Peay roared back posting five straight kills to get back within four points, 20-16. After a one-point interlude, the Lady Govs were at it again, using another five-point run to tie the set 21-21. The teams would trade points to get to 22-22 before VCU scored three of the final four points – including the final point on an APSU service error – to win 25-23.
VCU dominated the early going in the third set, quickly building a 10-3 lead. Austin Peay would piece together several brief runs, none longer than three points, to get back within a point at 19-18. The Lady Govs would finally take control with a 6-0 run that culminated with a block by the freshman duo of setter
Kristen Stucker and outside hitter Cecily Jones to grab a 24-22 lead. But Austin Peay couldn’t find the finishing blow and VCU rallied with the next two points to tie the set at 24-24. After another APSU set point at 25-24 was denied, Austin Peay got back-to-back kills from freshman outside hitter Ashley Carger and senior outside hitter Sammie Ebright to win the set 27-25.
Austin Peay could not carry the momentum of its third set win into the fourth set, VCU winning the frame in wire-to-wire fashion. Again, the Rams built an early 8-3 lead but this time held the Lady Govs at bay en route to the 25-13 match-clinching victory. Austin Peay would not be able to piece together more than two straight points during the entire set.
Strother’s 16-kill performance paced Austin Peay’s 51-kill outing. Gable broke through for her first double-digit performance as a Lady Govs, scoring 11 kills.
Kalah Jones, Sahbria McLetchie and Jessica Young each had 13 kills to lead VCU. The Rams offense finished with 56 kills but its seven service aces and eight blocks helped it hold off Austin Peay.
Austin Peay returns to Clarksville and will open its home schedule with a 7 p.m., Tuesday contest against Evansville
GEORGIA TECH 3, UT MARITN 0; SIENA3, UT MARTIN 1
ATLANTA, Ga. - The University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team battled in a pair of matches today but ultimately dropped decisions against both Georgia Tech (3-0; 23-25, 8-25, 13-25) and Siena (3-1; 25-15, 22-25, 17-25, 18-25) at the GT Courtyard by Marriott Atlanta Midtown Invite.
Offensively, Alisha Erves and Lael Ceriani shared the team lead with 19 kills today while Ellie Cain handed out 57 assists in a pair of matches. Defensively, Colleen Larson led the way with 30 digs in seven sets while Kiah Cheatham amassed six blocks.
The Skyhawks open the month of September on Tuesday when they travel to Oxford, Miss. for a pair of matches. UT Martin will take on McNeese State at 3 p.m. before battling Ole Miss at 7 p.m.
Georgia Tech
UT Martin led for a majority of the first set before the Yellow Jackets staged a comeback and also took each of the next two sets for the win.
Georgia Tech led by a 4-2 margin before the Skyhawks reeled off an 8-2 run to take a 10-6 advantage. Ceriani ignited the surge with four kills while Jamie Scherb landed a pair of service aces during the run. Erves accounted for three consecutive kills to push UT Martin’s advantage out to 16-12 before the Yellow Jackets pieced together six unanswered points. Four ties would follow as Erves racked up a pair of late kills to help the Skyhawks tie the score at 23-all. However, Georgia Tech came up with back-to-back points to claim the first set.
Erves was on fire in the first set, slamming down six kills with zero errors in nine attempts. Cain was responsible for 10 assists while Larson headed the defense with six digs.
The Yellow Jackets carried their momentum over into the second set, jumping out to an 11-1 lead before a Rachel Noffsinger kill ended Georgia Tech’s run. An assisted block by Kiah Cheatham and Madison Wessling wrapped up a 4-2 Skyhawk run but the Yellow Jackets came right back with four straight points. Wessling was responsible for two straight kills but ultimately Georgia Tech ended the set with six unanswered points.
Wessling (three kills) accounted for exactly half of UT Martin’s kills in the first set.
Attack errors hurt the Skyhawks at the start of the third set, as Georgia Tech took an 8-0 lead. UT Martin got back within striking distance courtesy of a 9-4 run, as a pair of Chelsea Bowles service aces helped the Skyhawks claw back within three points at 12-9. UT Martin’s deficit remained at three points until the Yellow Jackets used another 8-0 run to extend their lead out to 22-11. A Georgia Tech service error and kill by Ceriani would soon follow but it was too late for the Skyhawks to complete their comeback.
Siena
The Skyhawks jumped out to a quick start with a convincing win in the first set but ultimately Siena rallied to take each of the next three sets.
UT Martin quickly established momentum in the first set, claiming a 7-2 advantage early. The Saints would cut the Skyhawk lead to two points at 10-8 but UT Martin wasted no time pushing its lead back out to six points thanks in part to back-to-back kills by Mandy Glon. Siena would not get any closer than five points the rest of the way, as the set was capped off with a pair of Larson service aces during a 4-0 Skyhawk run.
The Skyhawk offense hit .278 as a team in the first set, committing only one error in 36 attempts. Ceriani tallied four kills and Cain provided 10 assists while Wessling scooped up six digs to guide the defense.
Once again, UT Martin raced out to an early lead in the second set as the Skyhawks established a 5-3 lead. The Saints then scored three out of four points to take their first lead of the set at 8-7 before UT Martin came back to tie the set at 9-all. Siena then scored five unanswered points but the Skyhawks fought back to score eight of the next 12 points to get within one point at 18-17 after a Cheatham service ace. The Saints then used a 6-2 run to go ahead by a 24-19 margin but UT Martin received three consecutive points to stave off elimination. However, a Siena kill put an end to the Skyhawk comeback bid and evened the match at 1-1.
Erves (four kills), Cain (10 assists) and Larson (four digs) were the leaders for UT Martin in the second set.
The Saints opened the third set on a 7-1 run before Ceriani slammed down back-to-back kills. Cheatham was then responsible for three straight points for UT Martin – each coming off kills – but Siena was able to maintain a 14-7 lead. An Erves kill and Alanna Watt service ace sliced the Skyhawk deficit to five points but a 6-2 Saint run made the score 20-11 in Siena’s favor. UT Martin claimed three of four points during one stretch to creep within six points but ultimately that was as close as the Skyhawks would get for the remainder of the set.
Cheatham accounted for five kills in the third set while Cain nabbed team-highs in assists (10) and digs (five).
Both teams struggled to create separation at the beginning of the fourth set, as the two sides traded points until a 4-4 tie ensued. Siena then scored three straight points but back-to-back attack errors by the Saints made the score 7-6. UT Martin stayed close thanks to kills by Erves, Ceriani and Rachel Noffsinger but Siena would move its lead out to six points at 18-12. Wessling compiled two more kills soon thereafter but the Skyhawks could not extend the match.
Larson performed extremely well in the final set, scooping up 11 of the team’s 19 digs.
MURRAY STATE 3, WESTERN CAROLINA 0; MURRAY STATE 3, GEORGIA STATE 0
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - The Murray State volleyball team swept its way to the Catamount Volleyball Classic title with a pair of 3-0 victories Saturday. The Racers defeated host school Western Carolina to begin the day, 25-15, 25-18 and 25-15 and finished the tournament off with a 25-6, 25-21 and 25-20 victory over Georgia State.
Against the Catamounts, the Racers (3-0) were led by tournament MVP Kristen Besselsen’s 13 kills and .600 hitting percentage. Taylor Olden added 11 kills and Scottie Ingram and Alyssa Lelm chipped in with eight and six, respectively.
Ingram led the Racers with 17 digs in the victory, while Sam Bedard recorded a double-double with a team-high 32 assists and 15 digs. Olden added 10 digs of her own against the Catamounts. As a team MSU hit .263 overall while WCU hit .000. The Racers also had seven aces in the match and WCU didn’t record one. The Racers trailed just once against the Catamounts (1-1), 1-0 to open the third set.
Against GSU, the Racers hit a season-high .325 as a team and held the Panthers to a .000 hitting percentage.
Ingram led the Racers in the victory with 10 kills and hit .467 while Besselsen and Lelm each recorded eight kills. Ingram also had a career-best five aces in the victory and tied for the team lead with Besselsen with nine digs. Bedard recorded 34 assists in the match.
Joining Besselsen on the all-tournament team were Bedard and Olden. Besselsen hit .413 in the three wins and led the squad with 34 kills. Olden was second on the team with 29 kills over the weekend and hit .282 while Bedard averaged 11.6 assists per set to total 105 for the weekend.
As a team, the Racers hit .276 overall and held their opponents to a .072 clip. MSU also had a total of 20 service aces, while allowing opponents to collect just six.
Next week, the Racers head to the upper northwest as they will play Washington at 9 p.m. Murray time Sept. 4 and will face Buffalo at 4 p.m. central Sept. 5.
DEPAUL 3, SIUE 0
MACOMB, Ill. – SIUE volleyball closed out the 2015 Hampton Inn Leatherneck Invitational Saturday with a 25-14, 25-18, 25-19 loss to DePaul.
The Cougars, 1-2, now gear up for the Cougar Classic this weekend. It begins with a 7 p.m. match Friday against Arkansas. The tournament also includes Louisiana Tech and Northern Kentucky.
Taylor Joens led the SIUE offense her third straight double-digit effort in kills with a team-leading 12.
Saige Gallop led the Blue Demons with 10 kills. DePaul hit .412 as a team. Callie Huebner added five service aces.
SIUE's edge was in blocks with a 4-3 lead. The Cougars also finished with 31 kills as a team and hit .132 against DePaul.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 2; EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, IPFW 0
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The EIU volleyball team looked to carry over its momentum after their 3-1 victory over UIC the previous night and keep things going in the right direction headed into day two at the IPFW Invitational. The competition would not get any easier for the Panthers as they were slated to face Central Michigan to open the second day and invitational-host IPFW in the night-cap. The Panthers finished day two of the IPFW Invitational with a perfect 2-0 record on the day and 3-0 in the tournament to earn first place in the tournament.
Eastern Illinois University 3, Central Michigan University 2
In a game that appeared to be one-sided, the EIU Panthers came from behind down two sets and won the next three to defeat Central Michigan 3-2 in the morning game of the IPFW Invitational. The scores of the match finished as 19-25,24-26,25-15,25-20,15-13.
The first set saw a lot of back and forth action in the early moments after a block by Allie Hueston and Chelsea Lee tied the game up 3-3. From there, CMU appeared to take control of the set, as they rolled off seven of the next nine points to take a 10-5 advantage. A service ace by Marah Bradbury brought the Panthers within four, but CMU went on a streak late to take game one 25-19.
The Panthers looked to get things going early in the second set as they jumped out to an 11-6 lead after a Taylor Smith put-down. After a CMU time out, the Panthers kept the momentum on their side and gathered an 18-12 lead with the help of a CMU attacking error. The Chippewas brought themselves back into the set, and squared things up at 20-20. The two teams traded leads, until CMU was able to win a couple points in a row to win set two, 26-24.
EIU was determined to not let CMU take the match that easy, and made a statement in set number three. The Panthers quickly raced out to a commanding 10-4 lead after a block from Josie Winner and Abby Saalfrank. The Chippewas again tried to comeback in the set, but this time the Panthers would not give up their lead. EIU gathered a lead by as much as nine points within the set, and went on to take game three by a score of 25-15.
The hot starts continued for the Panthers into set four as they lead 11-6 early on with the help of a pair of kills from Nesbitt and Winner. The Nesbitt-Winner duo continued to find holes in the Chippewas defense and saw the score at 16-9 EIU. CMU found themselves in a three point deficit, until a pair of kills from Hueston and Saalfrank sealed up the set for a 25-20 EIU win.
The match came down to the fifth set, and neither team wanted to go home empty handed after a hard fought match. The fifth set, much like the first, repeated a lot of alternate scores. The lead never reached more than a point, until a Bradbury kill gave the Panthers a 14-12 advantage. CMU would earn the next point after a kill from their Jessica Meichtry. EIU would take the set and the match after a Lee put-down as the fifth set finished with a score of 15-13.
Hueston and Nesbitt both tallied double-digit kills with 13 and 12 respectively. Bradbury dished out 45 assists, while Wallace and Lee paced the Panthers defense with 18 and 13 digs each.
Eastern Illinois University 3, IPFW 0
The Eastern Illinois University volleyball team looked to build on their success from their previous two games, and continue with their recent success against Invitational-host IPFW in the night-cap. The Panthers swept the host-team in sets 3-0 by scores of 25-18,25-18,28-26.
The Panthers would take a 10-5 lead over the Mastodons in the first set behind a pair of aces from Bradbury. IPFW looked to ease themselves back into the game, until a trio of put-downs from Lee closed the door as the Panthers took game one 25-18.
Game two started out fairly even between the two squads as they traded leads until a kill by the Mastodons’ Somer Johnson tied the game up at 12-12. The Panthers looked to open a lead momentarily after getting production from Smith and Lee, but IPFW tied the game up on three different occasions, 15-15,16-16, and 17-17. A kill from Saalfrank gave the Panthers a one point advantage. Six straight errors by IPFW gave EIU a comfortable lead, and a kill from Lee finished off game two 25-18.
IPFW sought to bring the home-crowd back into set three, as the Mastodons would take the first six points of the game. A couple kills from Nesbitt and Saalfrank cut the Mastodon lead to four. IPFW then took six of the next eight points to post an 16-8 lead. An EIU timeout appeared to take IPFW out of their rhythm as Hueston was able to put-down a couple winners for the Panthers and bring the lead to five. The Panthers continued to work their way back into the set as they were able to tie the score for the first time 20-20 following another Lee kill. A Hueston kill gave the Panthers their first lead of the match at 25-24. After a couple lead changes, Hueston again gave the Panthers a one-point advantage following an ace. Nesbitt finished off the set with a kill of her own, as the Panthers took game three 28-26 and swept the match 3-0.
Lee finished with her second kill-dig double-double of the year as she finished the game with 10 kills and 14 digs. Nesbitt lead the team with 11 kills. Bradbury handed out 41 assists, and Wallace and Anne Hughes broke double-digit marks in digs with 14 and 10 respectively.
Bradbury, Hueston, and Nesbitt (MVP) earned All-Tournament honors at the IPFW Invitational.
The perfect 3-0 record at the IPFW Invitational marked the first season-opener tournament win since 1987, when the Panthers posted a 4-1 mark and won the DePaul Invitational that year. Since 1987, the Panthers have earned 13 runner-up titles in season-opening tournaments, and the win at IPFW marked the third title of such kind in program history.
UMKC 3, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Saturday marked the end of the first ever Drury Hotels Redhawks Invitational. The final day would consist of Arkansas State vs. Saint Louis, followed by Southeast Missouri vs. Missouri Kansas City. Southeast Missouri fell in the final match 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-14).
The opening set would be a back-and-forth battle throughout. Nzingha Clarke set the tone early with five kills and a .714 hitting clip during the frame. Southeast found themselves ahead with a 23-18 lead. Missouri-Kansas City would answer back with an 8-1 run to sneak past the Redhawks and claim the opening set, 26-24.
Missouri-Kansas City would use the momentum from the end of the opening set throughout the rest of the match.
Set two saw the 'Roos claim control early, 10-5. They would continue on to take the frame 25-15, never letting the Redhawks within five points. During the set, Clarke registered another five kills, posting a .625 attack percentage. After remaining close 11-10 in the final set, the 'Roos mounted a six-point run and would never look back to finish 25-14, winning the match in three sets.
Clarke finished the match with 12 kills and a .632 hitting clip. She would finish the weekend hitting .267 to rank sixth in the tournament while also averaging 1.10 blocks per set, ranking third. Clarke's performance earned her a spot on the all-tournament team. Freshman Korrine Croft averaged 0.70 blocks per set on opening weekend. Krissa Gearring led the team in kills per set with 3.30, racking up 33 kills. Jade Mortimer, through 10 sets, averaged 4.5 digs per set.
The Redhawks return to action next weekend at the Gardner-Webb Tournament in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. The Redhawks will play the hosts Friday evening at 6 p.m., CT, followed by South Carolina-Upstate and The Citadel on Saturday.
WRIGHT STATE 3, TENNESSEE TECH 0; NIAGARA 3, TENNESSEE TECH 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - It was another battle as the Tennessee Tech (0-3, 0-0 OVC) volleyball team concluded tournament play at the Wright State Invitational on Saturday. The Golden Eagles faced opponents of Wright State (2-0) and Niagara (1-2), falling to both teams. Tech was blanked by Wright State 3-0, and then lost to Niagara 3-1. Winning set scores for the Raiders were 25-10, 25-19, and 25-15, while the Purple Eagles prevailed 25-21, 15-25, 25-21, and 25-21.
In the match against Wright State, the Raiders took an early 5-0 lead in the first. Kills by K'Vonna Johnson, Shaneice James, and Cody Dodd brought Tech within three, 8-5, however Wright State continued to capitalize and went on a 9-2 run. From there, the Raiders continued to cruise to a 25-10 triumph.
In the second, the Golden Eagles kept a tighter hold onto Wright state, opening with a 5-4 Raider lead. However, Wright State swiftly pulled ahead and created a five-point deficit, 10-5, over Tech. Here, the Raiders took advantage and extended their lead to eight points, 18-10. Wright State errors allowed Tech to come within five-points, 21-16, but the Raiders quickly regrouped with a timeout and came back to seal the second set 25-19.
The Raiders remained strong offensively in the third and took control of the set opening with a 5-1 lead over the Golden Eagles. Kills by Johnson, brought Tech within one, 4-5, however Golden Eagle errors allowed the Raiders to pull away and create a four-point lead, 9-5. Tech persisted and pulled within one, 9-8, but Wright State continued to rally and pull ahead 20-11, before closing out the set 25-15.
James, Kellie Williams, and Johnson led the Golden Eagles against the Raiders with six kills each. Allison Morrett gathered 14 digs, while teammate Susan Jeziorowski tallied 18 assists. Wright State was led by Katie Klusman who totaled 13 kills and 10 digs.
Tech gave a tough fight in the match against Niagara. The Golden Eagles opened play with kills from Williams and Alyssa Povey, along with a Morrett service ace. The Purple Eagles stayed strong offensively and held ties of 4-4 and 8-8, before going on 7-2 run to pull ahead 15-10. Back-to-back attacks by Povey and Sharon Anderson brought Tech within three, 20-17, however, despite the Golden Eagles attempts to battle back, Niagara remained dominant and finished the set 25-21.
Tech opened the second set with kills from Williams and Dodd, 2-0, however, Niagara competed and tied the score at 5-5. The Golden Eagles then went on a 10-2 run to pull ahead 15-7. Tech continued to capitalize on its lead and pulled ahead by 10 at 20-10. The Golden Eagles minimized errors and kept a strong defense, highlighted by three blocks each from Dodd and James, to win the third set 25-15.
Tech continued to play with high intensity going into the third set. The Golden Eagles took an early 8-3 lead and remained aggressive to pull ahead by six, 12-6. However, Niagara regrouped and went on an 8-1 run to take the lead over Tech, 14-13. From there, the teams kept a close battle staying within one point of each other until the Purple Eagles took the first lead at 22-20 and persisted to close out the third set 25-21.
Niagara and Tech continued to battle in the fourth. Holding within two-points of another throughout the first half of the set, it wasn't until the Purple Eagles went on a 3-0 run that a team pulled ahead by four at 18-14. The Golden Eagles battled to pull within one at 18-17, and continued to fight to tie the score at 19-19. Tech continued to fight to take control, but Niagara held on to win the fourth set and the match 25-21.
Dodd led the Golden Eagles with 15 kills, four blocks, and a .216 hitting percentage. Povey tallied 12 kills and five blocks, while Wade gathered 19 digs and Anderson totaled 45 assists. The Purple Eagles were led by Melissa McGwin who acquired 14 kills and seven blocks.
Tech continues play on Thurs.-Sat., Sept. 3-5, when they travel to Knoxville, Tennessee for the Tennessee Volleyball Classic. The Golden Eagles will face Tennessee in a 6 p.m. contest on Thursday, North Florida in an 11:30 a.m. match-up on Friday, and UNC-Greensboro on Saturday with first serve slated for 11:30 a.m.
INDIANA STATE 3, MOREHEAD STATE 2
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State Volleyball team rallied from behind to win the second and fourth sets, but eventually fell to Indiana State, 3-2. They lost 25-19 (ISU), 27-25 (MSU), 25-23 (ISU), 25-19 (MSU), 15-12 (ISU).
A day after trailing most of the way against Marshall, the Eagles once again trailed in every set. But, on Saturday afternoon they found a way to bounce back. Trailing 19-13 in the second, they rallied to win 27-25, and then in the fourth, after trailing 10-2, they outscored the Sycamores 23-9 the rest of the way to force a pivotal fifth set.
In the fifth, MSU found themselves in a hole once again. But, this time they were unable to recover as ISU closed out the set and the match, 15-12.
The Eagles hit .250 as a team and three players finished with at least 13 kills. Freshman Meridith Jewell led the way with 20 kills, junior Sydney Schuler tied a career-high with 14, and junior Courtney Smith, who missed last season due to an injury, had 13.
For the second consecutive match, Morehead State dealt with an injury as sophomore Jessie Wachtman was forced to leave the game in the fourth set due to an apparent knee injury. They also played without starting libero, junior Hope Rilemma.
The Eagles travel to Easton, Penn. next weekend to participate in the Crosstown Challenge. They face Marist and Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday and then Lafayette and Lehigh on Saturday.
ALBANAY 3, BELMONT 2
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Belmont Bruins volleyball team plays in its second five set match of the weekend. Once again their tough fight fell just short dropping the third match of the weekend. The Bruins offense came out fighting with double digit kills in each of the first four sets but the story of the day was unforced errors and the Bruins just could not recover.
Sophomore Arianna Person (Lenexa, Kan.) led the Bruin offense with 19 kills, while Redshirt Junior Jessica Vestal (Concord, Calif.) tallied 15 kills while hitting .239 on the evening. Both Sophomore Emma Price (Fort Mill, SC) and Senior Jocelyn Youngdahl (Stillwater, Minn.) lead the defense with four blocks and Sophomore Ellie Ivancich (Naperville, Ill.) scooped up 23 digs from the back row.
For the first time this weekend Belmont takes home the first set of the match, by Beating Albany 25-20 to go up 1-0. With 17 kills and two aces the Bruins took control of the offensive to terminate in the first set. Sophomore Brie Lewis (Stillwell, Kan.) tallied four kills on eight attempts with no errors hitting for an average of .500 this set. The team took the lead after being tied at 8 with a four point run highlighted by a Vestal kill and three point service run.
Service errors plagued the Bruins in the second set. The two teams' battled point for point up until the Great Danes hit double digits and with nine missed serves Belmont was unable to keep up with the Danes dropping the set 25-13. The Bruins went into the locker room notched at 1. Belmont fell behind early in set four and despite a late surge after trailing 21-15, they was unable to close the gap and take home set three. Final score of set three was 25-22. The Bruins are averaging 14 kills per set, but missed serves and the Danes defense has proven to be the difference maker so far.
The two teams played tug-of-war for points once again in set four with no team holding anything greater then a three point lead. With freshman Maggie Mullins (Nashville, Tenn.) back to serve the Bruins pull ahead to a 15-12 lead. The two teams continue to battle point for point as Belmont alternates between a two and three point lead with the Great Danes until the Bruins reach 21-17. A late set surge and a 6-0 by the Danes gives Albany a 23-21 lead. After a time-out called by Head Coach Howell the Bruins come back on fire tying the game up at 23. With a huge block by Youngdahl and Price, Mullins heads back to the line once again to close out the set.
Albany takes the early lead in the fifth set going up 5-1 over the Bruins. With a few unforced errors by the Bruins the two teams switched sides with the Danes leading 8-2. With Youngdahl at the service line the Bruins bring the set within four. Unfortunately the Bruins fight falls short losing the fifth set 15-9.
Price was named to the All-Tournament team this weekend. Price posted 12 kills, 98 assists 15 digs and 9 total blocks on the weekend.
Belmont drops to 0-3 as they close out the weekend. The Bruins will return to action next weekend as they host the Bruiser Showcase at the Curb Event Center. Belmont will play their first match of the weekend on Friday September 4th against the University of South Alabama.
VALPARAISO 3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 0; CHATTANOOGA 3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Eastern Kentucky lost a pair of matches on the final day of the Chattanooga Classic presented by Hampton Inn & Suites.
The Colonels (0-3) began the day with a 3-0 loss to Valparaiso (2-0). Eastern fell by scores of 25-15, 25-12 and 27-25. Senior Rachel Vick had a team-best nine kills and did not make an attack error, finishing with a .346 attack percentage. Johanna Boyer had 13 assists and four blocks. Freshman Chloe Rojas contributed 16 digs.
EKU had a 7-5 advantage in blocks, but had just 28 kills in 103 attacks and committed 11 reception errors off Crusader serves.
Eastern fell to host Chattanooga, 3-0, later in the day. The Mocs (2-1) won by scores of 25-22, 25-17 and 25-13. Sophomore Celina Sanks led EKU with 10 kills and made just two errors for a .296 attack percentage. Rojas chipped in with 17 digs.
OLE MISS 3, TENNESSEE STATE 1; ORAL ROBERTS 3, TENNESSEE STATE 0
OXFORD, Miss. - The Tennessee State volleyball team (0-3) finished up their weekend at the Magnolia Invitational on Saturday, dropping their final two matches to Ole Miss (2-0) and Oral Roberts (2-1).
The Tigers went toe to toe with the Rebels during the first set of the match, staying within a point of Ole Miss for majority of the set. TSU would go on to win the first set 25-22 outhitting Ole Miss 14-7.
Unfortunately, the first set would prove to be the only win for the Tigers, as they dropped the next three sets, losing the match 3-1. Ole Miss took advantage of a slow Tiger start during the second set, taking a 10-0 lead. The Tigers would fail to recover from the deficit, dropping the set 25-9.
Despite a rough second set, TSU bounced back during the third set. The Tigers went on an eight-point run with the help of sophomore setter Samantha Beltran, who recorded three service aces during the run. Kills by juniors Arijana Anderson and Chloe Watson and freshmen Zahria Graham and Ayanna Chase also contributed to the run. In spite of the effort, Tennessee State was unable to hold off Ole Miss, losing the set by just three points (25-22).
The Rebels carried their momentum into the fourth set, producing a .500 hitting percentage with 16 kills on 30 attempts. Ole Miss closed the set 25-15 and collected their second win of the season.
Watson notched her first double-double of the season against Ole Miss, finishing the match with 14 kills and 11 digs. Watson also led the team in total points scored (16).
The Tigers faced Oral Roberts in their final match of the tournament, falling to the Golden Eagles in just three sets.
The first set of the match established the tone for the rest of game, as the Golden Eagles outscored the Tigers 20-12 and recorded a .200 hitting percentage, while TSU recorded a hitting percentage of .074.
Tiger errors proved to be costly during the first set, as their nine recorded errors would ultimately be the number of points TSU needed to win. The final score of the first set was 25-16.
For the next two sets, the Tigers had a difficult time defending the Golden Eagles offence. Each TSU run would be put to an end by an Oral Roberts attack. The Golden Eagles outside hitter, Laura Milos was practically unstoppable, recording 20 kills in just three sets. Collectively, ORU recorded a .320 hitting percentage against TSU.
Ayanna Chase, who recorded a total of eight kills and a hitting percentage of .462, led the Tigers throughout the three sets.
The Tigers continue their season next Saturday in their home opener against Samford University.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, ALABAMA STATE 0; KENNESAW STATE 3, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0
KENNESAW, Ga. - The Jacksonville State volleyball team split the final day of the Kennesaw State Invitation with a 3-0 sweep of Alabama State before dropping the final game of the event to host Kennesaw State.
The Gamecocks (2-1) started the tournament with back-to-back sweeps to open the 2015 season before suffering its first setback on Saturday night. The 2-1 mark earned Jax State a second-place finish for the tournament. Freshman Mackenzie Rombach and sophomore Hannah Kirk were named to the All-Tournament team following the conclusion of the event.
JSU began the day defeating Alabama State 25-12, 25-20, 25-10). The Gamecocks controlled the match throughout limiting ASU (1-2) to hitting just .057 as a team. Defensively, Rombach set a new career best in her second game with a team-high five blocks. Senior Samantha Bohne along with Kirk tied with six digs apiece. Across the net, sophomore Jennifer Hart dished 28 of JSU's 31 assists.
JSU took the opening set, 25-12. A pair of service aces by Rombach aided a 6-0 run that pushed Jax State out front 16-7. Sophomore Charis Ludtke had a .714 hitting percentage with five kills in the first set leading a Gamecock offense that combined to hit .450.
The second set looked to be headed in the same direction as JSU jumped out to a 12-4 lead. ASU fought back cutting its deficit to just three, 14-11, before senior Emily Rutherford's kill shifted momentum back to the Red and White. Errors from the Hornets allowed JSU to go on taking the set 25-20.
The Gamecocks closed out their second sweep of the Kennesaw State Invitational taking the third and final set from Alabama State, 25-10.
In the nightcap against Kennesaw State, JSU was unable to hang with the Owls, suffering its first loss (15-25, 20-25, 15-25) of the season.
To start the game, the Gamecocks dropped the first set 25-15. JSU struggled offensively, unable to find the same rhythm from the first two matches.
The Gamecocks fell behind 4-0 to begin the second frame before rallying to tie, 5-5, and take its first lead of the match at 7-6 following a KSU error. The Owls tied the set again, 11-11. From there, the teams went back and forth for several points. When all knotted at 20-20, a trio of kills from KSU's Kelly Marcinek fueled a 5-0 run for the Owls finishing off the second set.
A kill from sophomore Allyson Zuhlke gave JSU the lead to open the third set, but the Owls weren't going away. JSU went crept ahead 7-6 on a kill from Ludtke before an 8-1 run gave Kennesaw an advantage it wouldn't relinquish. KSU went on the claim the third set by an identical score as the first, 25-15.
All-Tournament selection Rombach's seven kills led JSU against KSU followed by Rutherford (6) and Ludtke (5). Kirk, JSU's second All-Tournament selection, recorded 18 digs while Ludtke added 11. Hart had 19 assists giving her 47 total for the final day of the tournament.
JSU will next play Alcorn State on September 4 to open the Gamecock Invitational. The event will be played in Centre, north of Jacksonville, at the Cherokee Center as renovations continue at Pete Mathews Coliseum.