SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Kentucky 3, Tennessee State 2 (25-23, 25-21, 13-25, 22-25, 15-8)
@Eastern Illinois 3, Jacksonville State 0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-19)
Tennessee Tech 2, @SIUE 2 (25-17, 19-25, 20-25, 25-21, 15-7)
Murray State 3, @UT Martin 0 (25-13, 25-20, 25-22)
Belmont 3, Morehead State 2 (13-25, 25-19, 25-22, 21-25, 15-10)
@Southeast Missouri 3, Austin Peay 1 (25-21, 25-13, 20-25, 25-19)
EASTERN KENTUCKY 3, TENNESSEE STATE 2
RICHMOND, Ky. - Eastern Kentucky held off a rally by Tennessee State to pick up a 3-2 Ohio Valley Conference victory.
The Colonels won by scores of 25-23, 25-21, 13-25, 22-25 and 15-8.
Danielle Hicks led Eastern with 17 kills, made just two errors in 30 attacks and had a .500 attack percentage. Celina Sanks (11) and Rachel Vick (10) also had double digit kill totals. The Tigers (5-9, 0-2 OVC) were led by Chloe Watson with 25 kills.
EKU freshman Chloe Rojas led all players with 23 digs.
With the first set tied 22-22, the Colonels scored three of the next four points to win the set. After two TSU errors, Johanna Boyer recorded a kill to end the set. Eastern fell behind 6-1 early in the second set, but jumped back quickly to tie it 6-6. The score was tied 17-17 when EKU used a 5-2 run to build a three-point cushion. A service ace by Hicks brought set-point, 24-21, and moments later Ally Peters finished it with a kill.
TSU scored the first five points of the third set and cruised to a 25-13 victory. Haley Hampton scored two of the final three points on a pair of kills to get Tennessee State within one. The Tigers led most of the way through the fourth set as the visitors tied the match 2-2. Hampton ended the set again with a kill.
The Colonels never trailed in the fifth set. A kill by Vick broke a 1-1 tie and Eastern led the rest of the way. Another kill by Vick ended the set and the match.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois University volleyball team did not skip a beat from last night’s performance against TTU and continued it into today’s contest against Jacksonville State. The Panthers defeated the Gamecocks in straight sets (25-15,25-19,25-19) and upped their conference record to 2-0.
In front of a large crowd, squaring off against another conference foe in consecutive days, the EIU Panthers looked to remain in the upper portion of the conference after this weekend’s results.
The Panther offense caused havoc for the JSU defense in the beginning of the first set. A pair of Maria Brown kills put the Panthers ahead 6-2. The Gamecocks would chip away at the lead, but only momentarily as an Allie Hueston kill began an 11-4 run for EIU to close out the first set 25-15.
JSU jumped ahead in the second set for an early lead, but the lead would not last long as EIU began to take over the set toward the middle points. With the score of 10-8 in favor of the Panthers, JSU took a timeout to regroup. During that time out, EIU’s senior libero – Stephanie Wallace – was honored for becoming the new record holder for career digs as her second dig in the set provided her record breaking 1,667 career dig. The
Panthers kept with their attack following the Gamecock timeout, as their lead grew to as many as seven. Abby Saalfrank put the second set away with a kill of her own, finishing the set at 25-19.
EIU was determined to defeat another conference opponent in straight sets for the second game in a row, but JSU did all they could to keep the game close in hopes of forcing a fourth set. Taylor Smith tied the game at 7-7 with a kill, and the Panthers began to take all the momentum away from the Gamecocks. Kayla Nesbitt put
EIU ahead by four 20-16, and JSU was forced to call another timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the duo of Hueston and Saalfrank used a pair of kills each, with Hueston contributing the match winner as the Panthers came out on top 25-19.
The Hueston and Saalfrank duo led EIU’s attack with 14 and 11 kill respectively. On the defensive side, the Panthers used a team effort which included 14 digs from Wallace, 13 by Anne Hughes, and Brown chipped in 12.
Abby Knight added four blocks to help with the Panther net-defense.
TENNESSEE TECH 3, SIUE 2
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - With a five-set match on back-to-back days, the outcome didn't fall SIUE's way Saturday against Tennessee Tech.
The Golden Eagles defeated the Cougars 25-17, 19-25, 20-25, 25-21, 15-7. Tennessee Tech improved to 3-12 overall and 1-1 in the OVC while SIUE dropped to 3-9 overall and 1-1 in the OVC.
Kristen Torre led the Cougar offense for the second straight day, posting 16 kills and a .316 hitting percentage. Ashley Witt added double-digit kills once again with 13 (hitting .229) against Tennessee Tech.
Tennessee Tech's Cody Dodd led all hitters with 20 kills followed by 18 from Kellie Williams.
As a team, SIUE hit .224 for the match. Alicia Streetar hit .292 with nine kills. Taylor Joens hit .375 with three kills. Carley Ramich hit .231 with seven kills. Katie Shashack powered the Cougar defense with 24 digs.
MURRAY STATE 3, UT MARTIN 0
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team could not shake off a slow start this evening in a 3-0 loss (13-25, 20-25, 22-25) to defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Murray State at Skyhawk Fieldhouse.
Chelsea Bowles generated a match-high 15 digs for UT Martin (5-14, 1-1 OVC) tonight, while Ellie Cain barely missed a double-double with 18 assists and nine digs. Amanda Crask added 10 digs while Lael Ceriani was responsible for a team-high eight kills.
“It was a tough loss for us tonight,” Skyhawk head coach Jaclynn Yocum said. “We came out really flat in that first set but showed a little life in the next two sets and competed back. We just made too many errors overall and didn’t execute our game plan well.”
Murray State (12-1, 2-0 OVC) led 6-0 in the first set until a Madison Wessling kill got the Skyhawks on the scoreboard. UT Martin would get within four points (8-4) before five unanswered points by the Racers forced the Skyhawks to burn a timeout. Ceriani accounted for a kill coming out of the huddle but Murray State used a 6-3 run to expand its lead on its way to the win.
Bowles had five of the Skyhawks’ 12 digs in the first set.
The Racers led by a 4-0 margin to begin the second set but an assisted block by Cain and Kiah Cheatham concluded a 4-1 Skyhawk run that got UT Martin back within striking distance. Three straight kills by Ceriani, Alisha Erves and Crask kept the Skyhawk deficit at one point (16-15) but Murray State tallied four of the next five points. Two kills by Cheatham pulled UT Martin back within two points late but the Racers ended the set with back-to-back points to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Skyhawks piled up 21 digs in the set, led by Cain’s five scoops.
The third set was a back-and-forth affair, as 14 ties and six lead changes took place. An assisted block by Wessling and Cheatham gave UT Martin its first lead at 3-2 and the Skyhawks were able to go on top by three points (9-6) after a Cheatham service ace. The Racers responded with a 5-0 run but Crask (kill, service ace) helped UT Martin turn its deficit into a 12-11 lead. Neither side could create separation over the next several possessions, as the lead did not exceed two points until the latter stages of the match. The score was even at 20-all before Murray State scored three consecutive points. Following a Skyhawk timeout, Ceriani came out swinging with a kill and Wessling kept UT Martin’s deficit at two points with another kill but Murray State clinched the match shortly thereafter.
Crask had four kills to lead the offense while Bowles compiled six digs in the third set.
BELMONT 3, MOREHEAD STATE 2
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Belmont moved to 2-0 in conference (5-8 overall) after defeating Morehead State (1-1, 4-12) in a riveting five set match. Final scores 13-25, 25-19, 25-22, 21-25 and 15-10. Sophomore Arianna Person (Lenexa, Kan.) led the Bruins offensively with 15 kills while sophomore Emily Richards (Penfield, NY) led the Bruins defensively with 19 digs.
Another slow start by Belmont gave Morehead the 11-4 lead to start set one. Belmont struggled to connect offensively which gave Morehead a 14-6 lead. The Bruins unable to rope together a strand of points gave Morehead set one 25-13.
In the first 10 points of set two there was six lead changes between the Bruins and the Eagles, ending with Belmont on top 10-8. A kill by senor Jocelyn Youngdahl (Stillwater, Minn.) and an ace by sophomore Ellie Ivancich (Naperville, Ill.) gave Belmont a 13-10 lead. The eagles went on a 4-1 run to tie the set up at 14. An overpass kill by sophomore Alexa Nichols (Walton, Ky.) allowed Bruins to pull ahead 20-16. The two teams battled point for point and an ace by Ivancich put Belmont ahead 24-19, a ball handling error by Morehead resulted in a set two victory for Belmont 25-19.
Bruins and Eagles went back and forth for points to start set three. Belmont went on a 6-0 run to a 12-5 lead. The run was highlighted by a pair of kills from Nichols and Lewis, and an ace by Richards. After a kill by freshman Tori Simmons (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) Belmont led 15-7. The momentum of the match turned to Belmont's favor in set three which led to a score of 17-10 Bruins. Some phenomenal defense and a pair of kills from sophomore Brie Lewis (Stillwell, Kan.), as well as a kill from Youngdahl resulted in a 23-16 advantage Belmont. Despite a three point run by the Eagles, Bruins took set three 25-22 off a kill from Youngdahl.
Eagles jumped out to a 4-0 quick start in set four. A pair of kills brought Bruins within one. A 7-3 run by the Eagles would give the 11-6 advantage to Morehead. Morehead went on a four-point run to take the advantage to 22-15. A kill by Person and a couple of errors from Morehead brought the Bruins within three 20-23. A kill by the Eagles and a service error by Belmont took the match to set five.
Belmont struggled at the start of the final set falling to a 0-4 deficit. An 8-1 rally by the Bruins brought them to an 8-5 advantage at the switching of sides. Followed by a pair of hitting errors from Morehead, Belmont took a 10-5 lead. Eagles came back fighting putting up four points to the Bruins one to bring the match within two. Two kills from Youngdahl, a kill from Lewis and an ace by Richards closed out the match 15-10.
Sophomore Emma Price (Fort Mill, SC) finished the evening with 44 assists and four kills. Lewis recorded 12 kills followed by Youngdahl with 10.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, AUSTIN PEAY 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Austin Peay State University’s volleyball team had few answers for a surging Southeast Missouri offense in a four-set Ohio Valley Conference loss (21-25, 13-25, 25-20, 19-25), Saturday afternoon at Houck Field House.
Austin Peay (5-12, 0-2 OVC) could only put the brakes on the Southeast Missouri offense in the third set. The
Lady Govs held the Redhawks to nine kills and a .167 attack percentage. Meanwhile, Austin Peay posted a 14-kill effort with a match-best .229 attack percentage.
However, Southeast Missouri (5-10, 1-1 OVC) was held in check just the one set. The Redhawks recorded 14 or more kills in each of the three sets it won, posting a .286 or better attack percentage each time.
Sophomore Ashley Slay led the Lady Govs with a 14-kill, three-block performance that saw her post a team-leading .333 attack percentage. Senior Samantha Strother added 13 kills and a .270 attack percentage. The duo led an Austin Peay attack that finished with 51 kills but was held to a .174 attack percentage.
Gearring led Southeast Missouri with 12 kills and was one of four hitters to finish with double-digit kills.
The Redhawks needed just 53 kills in the win but posted a more efficient .303 attack percentage and had seven service aces and 11 blocks.