SATURDAY'S SCORES
Belmont 3, @Charlotte 2 (12-25, 20-25, 25-20, 29-27, 15-8)
Eastern Kentucky 3, Cal State Northridge 2 (16-25, 25-10, 25-17, 27-25, 17-15)
SIUE 3, @Fort Wayne 1 (17-25, 25-16, 25-14, 25-14)
Tennessee Tech 3, The Citadel 2 (25-19, 20-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-13)
@West Virginia 3,
UT Martin 0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-11)
@Eastern Illinois 3, Memphis 2 (24-26, 25-14, 27-29, 25-22, 17-15)
Belmont 3, Southern Utah 1 (22-25, 26-24, 25-23, 25-20)
@College of Charleston 3,
Tennessee State 1 (23-25, 25-15, 25-18, 25-12)
SIUE 3, Quinnipiac 0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-17)
@Morehead State 3, Winthrop 2 (17-25, 25-23, 25-19, 19-25, 15-6)
UT Martin 3, Delaware 1 (18-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-19)
Murray State 3, @Samford 1 (21-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-19)
Campbell 3,
Tennessee Tech 0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-22)
@New Orleans 3,
Southeast Missouri 2 (25-12, 18-25, 19-25, 25-19, 15-12)
@Austin Peay 3, #19 Missouri 2 (25-11, 19-25, 27-25, 22-25, 17-15)
Tennessee State 3, USC Upstate 2 (27-25, 24-26, 23-25, 25-14, 15-10)
Jacksonville State 3, Charleston Southern 1 (25-23, 22-25, 27-25, 25-16)
Jacksonville State 3, Western Carolina 0 (25-22, 25-14, 26-24)
Eastern Illinois 3, Bradley 2 (25-20, 25-18, 20-25, 20-25, 15-10)
BELMONT 3, CHARLOTTE 2; BELMONT 3, SOUTHERN UTAH 1
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -Belmont Volleyball (2-0) dug deep to build on its early wins at the Charlotte Invitational this weekend. The Bruins battled into a fifth set to topple tournament host UNC Charlotte (2-1), 3-2, handing them their first loss of the young season.
The Bruins struggled in the opening set but began to build up steam as the match wore on. Belmont closed the gap in the second stanza but was narrowly held off, 25-20. Down but not daunted, BU opened the third frame hot, going up early using strong hitting by senior Brie Lewis (Stillwell, Kan.) and junior Alexa Nichols (Walton, Ky.). The 49ers hoped to cool the hot hands of the Bruins with a called timeout after BU went ahead, 14-9. However, the Bruins kept surging and soon pulled ahead again, 18-12. Belmont refused to relent down the stretch and rolled off consecutive points securing the 25-20 win fueled by kills from Lewis and Jessica Vestal (Concord, Calif.).
The fourth stanza was another hot start for the Bruins, going up 5-2, before Charlotte was able to take the lead, 6-5. The teams fell into an intense back and forth battle through the midsection of the set. Belmont pulled away briefly before the intensity was cranked up as the teams battled through ties at 22, 23, and 24 points apiece. BU forced the set into extra points, taking a 26-25 lead to force the 49ers to call their final timeout of the set. However, Belmont remained hot. Kills by Nichols, Lewis and senior Arianna Person (Lenexa, Kan.) sealed the win in BU's longest set of the season so far, 29-27.
In their first extra frame of the season, the Bruins did not disappoint early, going up 5-3. Back-to-back kills by Vestal was enough to put BU on top 8-4 at the switch.
Belmont did not back down even as the 49ers threatened down the stretch, building a six point advantage, 12-6, that saw Charlotte burn a timeout to strategize. It did little to cool the hot hands of the Bruins as they rolled off three consecutive points to take the set, 15-8, and the match.
Three Bruins reached double digits in kills led by Person's 19. Nichols added 12 followed by 11 kills by Lewis. Senior Emma Price (Fort Mill, S.C.) finished with 39 assists while classmate Ellie Ivancich (Naperville, Ill.) recorded 26 digs.
Belmont Volleyball would not be denied in its first tournament of the 2017 campaign. The Bruins (3-0) worked for their third consecutive victory, pulling out a 3-1 victory over first-time opponent Southern Utah (1-3), to emerge as champions of the Charlotte Invitational.
SUU opened the contest strong but Belmont hopped to it to make up early lost ground.
The Bruins forced seven scoring ties before the 10th point was scored in the first set. A kill by freshman Halee Van Poppel (Argyle, Texas) led to a service ace by junior Alexa Nichols (Walton, Ky.) changed the tide in BU's favor down the stretch. At the height of the furor, junior Maggie Mullins (Nashville, Tenn.) exploded with back-to-back kills followed by a serving ace. The flurry saw the Thunderbirds call a timeout with BU ahead, 20-18. However, SUU battled back and put the Bruins on their collective heels with a flurry of its own that put them ahead, 21-20. Southern Utah maintained its frantic pace down the stretch to hold out for the 25-20 win.
Back-to-back service aces by senior Emily Richards (Penfield, N.Y.) capped with a kill by Jessica Vestal (Concord, Calif.) helped lift Belmont to an early lead in the second set, 5-3. Southern Utah rallied and closed the gap to one point, 13-12, but the Bruins battled to regain the lead. The Thunderbirds made another push late, knotting the score, 18-18, but BU remained calm and held steady through the final points. SUU knotted the score at 24 however Belmont kept victory in its sights and held on for the 26-24 win to even the tally.
The Bruins kept up their momentum through set three, pulling away early 11-7. The Thunderbirds threatened late in the stanza, knotting the score, 19-19, forcing Belmont to call timeout to regain its composure. However, that would be as close as SUU would come as BU continued to pile on the points to put distance between the teams. Belmont would go on to clench the set, 25-23. The Thunderbirds came out on the hunt at the start of the fourth set, going up 4-1 early before the Bruins rallied for a series of points to take the lead. Southern Utah pushed to tie the game at 12-12 but that would be as close as it would come. SUU burned timeouts on consecutive plays after senior Emma Price (Fort Mill, S.C.) dropped a service ace near the back line to put BU on top, 21-17. The Thunderbirds made a final pitch but a pair of kills by Vestal sealed their fate as Belmont took the final set, 25-20.
Three Bruins reached double figures in kills led by Nichols who tallied 15. Senior Jessica Vestal (Concord, Calif.) and Van Poppel each recorded 11 kills. Price finished with 39 assists and Richards notched a team-high 16 digs.
Belmont returns to action on Sunday afternoon with a stop in Nashville to take on Wichita State as part of the Lipscomb Invitational. Match time is set for 2:30 p.m.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 3, CSUN 2; PORTLAND STATE 3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 0
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The Eastern Kentucky University volleyball team started the final day of the Aztec Invitational off with a thrilling four set win over California State University, Northridge before falling to Portland State.
EKU won by scores of 25-16, 10-25, 27-25, 25-27 and 15-17.
In game one against California State University, Northridge (0-2) neither team seemed to be able to get their bearings in the first two sets. CSUN claimed the first, 25-16, while EKU (2-1) claimed the second, 25-10.
The Colonels were down in the match 2-1 going into the fourth set. There was a lot of point exchanging until Celina Sanks drilled a ball to tie the set at 14-14. Back-to-back errors from the Matadors kept the ball on the EKU side of the net and after freshman Lauren Kolenik notched a kill of her own that is where it stayed with the Colonels leading 17-14. CSUN tied the game at 19-19 and four more times after but another successful attack from Kolenik was enough to seal the set, 27-25, for EKU and give them new life.
In the fifth set a service ace from Chloe Rojas and a pair of kills from Sanks and Rachel Woody gave EKU an early 3-1 advantage, but after a pair of kills on the Matador side of the ball and a pair of attack errors CSUN found themselves with a 5-3 lead.
After a back-and-forth battle the game was tied at 11-11. Nikki Drost put a bead on the ball to break the tie and EKU never trailed again. The set tied three more times, 12-12, 14-14 and 15-15, but Sanks and Drost proved to be too much for CSUN after a pair of attacks, giving the Colonels a 17-15 win.
In the win EKU had three outside hitters in double figures with kills: Drost (16), Sanks (15) and Knutson, who had a double-double finishing with 10 kills and 15 digs. Woody tallied 43 assists and Rojas had 16 digs.
CSUN’s Aeryn Owens led all players with 22 kills.
The Colonels fell to Portland State (2-1) in their final game at the Aztec Invitational, 3-0, by scores of 23-25, 15-25 and 7-25.
EKU will be back in action on Tuesday at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. First serve is set for 9 p.m. ET.
SIUE 3, FORT WAYNE 1; SIUE 3, QUINNIPIAC 0
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - SIUE volleyball opened the 2017 season with a tournament title at the Fort Wayne Invitational Presented by Hyatt Place, adding victories Saturday over host Fort Wayne and Quinnipiac.
Taylor Joens, Emily Harrison and Jackie Scott were named to the All-Tournament team.
SIUE defeated Fort Wayne 17-25, 25-16, 25-14, 25-14. The Cougars overpowered Quinnipiac 25-20, 25-19, 25-17.
Paulus was able to enter 15 players in the match against Quinnipiac.
The Cougars were able to get first collegiate action for Annie Ellis, Rachel McDonald, Gabby Wimes and Arika Johnson.
Paulus also was quick to point out the effort of senior libero Katie Shashack. She finished the weekend with a team-leading 44 digs as well as 14 assists.
IUE volleyball collected its second straight win Saturday with a four-set victory over host Fort Wayne at the Fort Wayne Invitational Presented by Hyatt Place.
The Cougars came back from a set down to pick up a 17-25, 25-16, 25-14, 25-14 victory over the Mastodons.
SIUE concludes opening weekend tournament at 3:30 p.m. against Quinnipiac.
Taylor Joens led the Cougars with 11 kills and a .429 hitting percentage.
As a team, SIUE hit .291 for the match.
SIUE's defense used a balanced attack to push past Fort Wayne. Joens, Jackie Scott and Kiana Fields each had five blocks with Dylynn Otte, Ashley Witt and Annie Ellis added three each.
Elizabeth Fuerst led the Matsodons with 13 kills followed by 12 from Nicole Rightnowar.
SIUE flexed its offense Saturday, especially in the Quinnipiac match. Scott and Ashley Witt each had 10 kills in the three-set match, but it was the offensive efficiency that proved tough for the Cougars' opposition.
Harrison hit .900 against Quinnipiac with nine kills in 10 attacks. Joens hit .571 with eight kills in 14 attacks. As a team, SIUE hit better than .290 Saturday.
SIUE now has the week to prepare for its home opener at the Vadalabene Center Friday.
TENNESSEE TECH 3, THE CITADEL 2; CAMPBELL 3, TENNESSEE TECH 0
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – After opening the Hampton Inn Holly Springs Invitational yesterday with just one game, Tennessee Tech faced a full day Saturday with a double-header on its schedule.
Tech (2-1) gutted out a five-set win (25-19, 20-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-13) over The Citadel (1-2) in its earlier match-up Saturday afternoon and stepped on the court again about two hours later in a three-set loss to host school Campbell (20-25, 22-25, 22-25).
Now three matches into the season, Tech has a better idea of what its team will look like moving forward.
Those two, senior Kellie Williams and junior Shealene Little, were named to the all-tournament team for their efforts this weekend.
After totaling seven kills Friday against North Carolina Central, Williams exploded for a combined 30 kills Saturday (17 against Campbell and 13 against The Citadel). She also totaled nine digs throughout the tournament.
Little’s standout game came against The Citadel, when she totaled 19 kills (a career-high), 14 digs and a .381 hitting percentage. As a whole, she combined for 34 kills, 33 digs and four block assists.
A set-by-set-breakdown of both matches:
vs. THE CITADEL
SET 1
The Citadel kept the score tight throughout the opening set, not allowing Tech to go up by more than three points. Two attack errors by the Bulldogs and a Shealene Little kill, extending Tech’s lead to 18-13, forced a Bulldog timeout.
The Citadel would inch closer at 23-19 and cause Tech to pause play, but a block by Rachel Thomas and Kellie Williams gave Tech a 1-0 set lead.
SET 2
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 6-2 lead early and forced two Tech timeouts before going ahead 17-8. However, the Golden Eagles responded, going on a 6-0 run to cut the lead to 17-14. After a Bulldog timeout, The Citadel went up 24-20, and an unfortunate service error by Tech allowed the Bulldogs to tie the game up 1-1 in sets.
SET 3
Neither team gave up more than a 3-point lead until late in the set. With Tech up 17-16, Kellie Williams registered a kill, Allison Morrett totaled two service aces and The Citadel had an attack error to give Tech the 21-16 lead. The Golden Eagles would go on to win that set 25-20.
SET 4
Much like the previous set, the Bulldogs and Golden Eagles failed to pull away by more than a point until two-straight kills from The Citadel gave them the 21-19 lead. Tech would eventually close the gap to 23-22, but the Bulldogs pulled away at the end 25-22.
SET 5
With both teams tied up at two sets each and only needing 15 points to win the game, the Golden Eagles jumped on The Citadel early to lead 10-5. Tech gave up four-straight points, but a pair of kills from Little and a kill from Taylor Houck would force a Bulldog timeout with Tech up 13-10. The Citadel regrouped, going on a 3-1 run to trail 14-13, but a Little kill locked up the set and game win for Tech at 15-13.
at CAMPBELL
SET 1
Tech started the set up 10-7, but Campbell (3-0) went on a 14-6 run to pull ahead 21-16 and force a Tech timeout. The Golden Eagles closed the gap to three points, but the Lady Camels would go on to take the first set 25-20.
SET 2
Campbell continued its momentum from the previous set to lead 6-1 early. Tech responded, tying up the set at 12-12. The two teams traded points to reach 17-all before Campbell went on a 3-0 run to lead 20-17. It would go on to win the set 25-22 after Tech fought off the set point twice.
SET 3
Needing a set win to continue the match, Tech opened up the third set with a 10-7 lead. Campbell came back from the deficit to tie it up at 15-15. After a brief bout of trading points, the Lady Camels pulled away and looked as though they had the win sealed at 24-20. Tech pulled within two at 24-22 to force a Campbell timeout, but a Camel kill just afterward led to the set and match win.
Tech travels to Akron, Ohio for the Akron Invitational hosted by the Zips. The Golden Eagles will open the tournament Friday afternoon against La Salle and play a double-header Saturday vs. Akron and Loyola (Md).
WEST VIRGINIA 3, UT MARTIN 0; UT MARTIN 3, DELAWARE 0
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team picked up its first victory of the 2017 campaign this afternoon, defeating Delaware by a 3-1 margin (18-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-19) on Day Two of the WVU Invitational. Earlier in the day, the Skyhawks faced West Virginia and fell 3-0 to the host Mountaineers.
Jemima Idemudia led the UT Martin offense with 20 kills today, hitting .484 with only five errors in 31 attempts. The senior from Glendale, Ariz. also led the way with 10 blocks in just seven sets today on her way to all-tournament accolades.
Brooke Gyori had a team-best 25 digs today while Kenzie Hinshaw led the way with 45 assists to go along with 17 digs. Macy Reigelsperger and Megan Fair piled up 17 and 16 kills, respectively for the Skyhawk offense.
UT Martin goes back on the road next weekend for the UCA Invitational on Sept. 1-2. The Skyhawks will face Memphis and Little Rock on Friday before taking on host Central Arkansas on Saturday.
West Virginia
Gyori scooped up a match-high 15 digs but UT Martin could not overcome 44 total errors in the 3-0 loss to West Virginia out of the Big 12 Conference.
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first set but a pair of Fair kills helped the Skyhawks creep within striking distance at 10-7. Idemudia followed with kills on back-to-back possessions to make the score 15-12 and the UT Martin deficit remained at three points after a Fair trimmed West Virginia’s lead to 19-16. However, the Mountaineers accounted for the next three points and the Skyhawks could not make a late push.
Fair (four), Reigelsperger (three) and Idemudia (three) combined for all of UT Martin’s 10 kills in the first set.
Both sides played even in the early stages of the second set until West Virginia claimed a 10-4 advantage. The Skyhawks then reeled off five unanswered points that included two kills, two assisted blocks and a service ace. The Mountaineers soon extended their advantage out to 18-11 but UT Martin took advantage of five straight errors before Reigelsperger and Justine Walker kills evened the score at 18-all. West Virginia followed with four straight points and the Skyhawks would ultimately not get closer than two points the rest of the way.
Gyori accumulated six digs to lead a UT Martin defense that tallied 16 digs and four blocks in the second set.
The Skyhawks trailed 7-2 in the third set before a kill by Hannah Phillips helped get UT Martin back within striking distance. Idemudia compiled back-to-back kills soon thereafter but the Mountaineers claimed a double-digit lead (18-8) and the Skyhawks did not pull within single-digits for the duration of the set.
For the second straight set, Gyori tallied six digs but the UT Martin offense struggled to the tune of -.156 (six kills, 11 errors) in 32 attempts.
Delaware
The Skyhawk offense turned up the intensity over the last three sets as Hinshaw pieced together the first double-double (36 assists, 12 digs) of her young career in UT Martin’s come-from-behind 3-1 win.
Neither side could pad an early advantage in the first set, as the lead did not exceed more than two points until the Blue Hens went ahead by a 9-6 margin. The Skyhawks stayed within three points at 15-12 but Delaware unreeled a 5-0 run before Rachel Noffsinger answered with a kill and an assisted block (alongside Hayley Gray) on back-to-back possessions. The Blue Hens would go on to score the next three points and lead by as many as nine on their way to the victory.
Fair had four digs to lead UT Martin in the opening set but the Skyhawks could only muster eight kills as a team.
A key run midway through the second set fueled the second set win for UT Martin. Hinshaw fed Idemudia for kills on three consecutive possessions while Fair and Noffsinger combined for three straight kills to extend the Skyhawk lead out to 10-6. Reigelsperger pitched in with two kills in the span of three points before a dual block by Hinshaw and Idemudia made the score 19-13 in favor of UT Martin. Noffsinger added two kills before Reigelsperger put the finishing touch on the victory with a kill to give the Skyhawks the 25-19 win.
The UT Martin offense sizzled during the second set, as Hinshaw divvied out 13 assists on the team’s 15 kills. The Skyhawks hit .414 in 29 swings.
Idemudia helped UT Martin gain a 6-5 lead in the third set, as she amassed three kills over a four-point stretch. The Skyhawks held a narrow 11-10 lead before UT Martin reeled off four straight points, capped off with a Walker kill. Delaware crept within a single point (15-14) but the Skyhawks put the set away with a 7-0 run, as the senior duo of Reigelsperger and Idemudia combined for two kills and two blocks apiece during UT Martin’s surge. Fair contributed two more kills to wrap up the set and give the Skyhawks a 2-1 lead in the process.
UT Martin once again excelled offensively in the third set, as the Skyhawks committed only two errors with a .391 hitting percentage in 23 attempts.
A late fourth set push by UT Martin resulted in the first victory of the season for the Skyhawks. Delaware was able to jump out to a 9-6 lead but Noffsinger helped UT Martin close the gap with a pair of kills. The freshman tandem of Walker and Hinshaw came away with kills to even the score at 10-10 and four ties followed before UT Martin’s game-changing run. Idemudia was responsible for two straight kills to ignite a 10-4 Skyhawk run, which concluded with a kill by Fair.
For the third straight set, the offense carried UT Martin. The Skyhawks dialed up 15 kills while hitting .419 as Fair (four kills in six swings) and Hinshaw (10 assists) kept the offense flowing at a dynamic pace.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 3, TENNESSEE STATE 1; TENNESSEE STATE 3, USC UPSTATE
CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Tennessee State Tigers volleyball team continued play at the Hampton Inn and Suites Classic against the College of Charleston Cougars. In the second match of the tournament, the Tigers fell 3-1 (25-23, 25-15, 25-18, 25-12).
Each of our defensive specialists showed up recording 35 total digs, and setter Samantha Beltran put up 10.
The Tigers had a block party recording 15 total blocks by Rachel Henderson (6), Julia Pierson (4), Alexis Johnson (2), Maya Evan (1) and Samantha Beltran (1).
Preseason All-OVC pick Julia Pierson and freshman Maya Evans combined for 24 kills in the match.
First Set: Senior Katora Roberts began the match with a kill to put the Tigers on the board. Julia Pierson and Maya Evans combined for 9 kills in the first set. Tigers take set one 25-23.
Second Set: Julia Pierson broke a 5-0 run by the Cougars with a kill. Throughout the set, the team recorded one thirteen Tigers fall 25-15.
Third Set: Rachel Henderson and Alexis Johnson recorded a huge block for the Tigers tying the score 4-4. Kylie Hayes served the second Tiger ace of the match closing a four-point gap. Tigers fail to close the gap completely and fall 25-18 in set three.
Fourth Set: TSU trailed in the final set of the match, until Rachel Henderson brought the team its twelfth and final match point with a kill. The Tigers fell 25-12.
MOREHEAD STATE 3, WINTHROP 2
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Freshmen Lauren Rokey, Olivia Lohmeier and Liz Allen teamed up for 36 kills, and the Morehead State volleyball team improved to 2-1 in 2017 with a 3-2 victory over the Winthrop Eagles Saturday at Wetherby Gym. MSU claimed the match by winning 17-25, 25-23, 25-19, 19-25 and 15-6.
Sophomore right-side hitter/setter Jordan Jones also added nine kills, and freshman setter Chandler Clark piled up a career-best 52 assists as both were named to the Eagle Challenge All-Tournament Team.
Allen, an outside hitter, had 12 kills and completed her first career double-double with a team-best 18 digs. Rokey, also an outside attacker, smacked in 12 kills and hit .291, and Lohmeier drilled 12 winners and slapped back four blocks in four sets.
Sophomore middle Karlee Reynolds also shined with nine kills on 20 swings with just one error. On the back row, sophomore Danielle McCarson and freshman Taylor Hodges combined for 25 digs as the host Eagles edged the visiting Eagles 65-62 in the dig category.
After hitting pedestrian numbers in the first two sets (.179 and .146), Morehead State had 34 kills and just nine attack errors in the final three sets. In the third frame, the hosts landed 16 kills and hit .394 and really took charge in the fifth. MSU slammed in seven kills as part of its 15 points and hit .538 with zero errors.
Morehead State held an 11-9 cushion in the third frame before pulling ahead 18-11. Winthrop cut it to 18-14, but three straight kills by Rokey ignited a 5-0 run to put the set out of reach.
The fifth set also turned when Rokey got going. Leading 4-3, she smacked three of the next four points on kills and helped her team push ahead 8-3.
Sydney Gunter led the Winthrop squad with 17 kills, while Carli Skelton came up with a match-best 20 digs.
Morehead State stays at home for a mid-week matchup with regional rival Marshall on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.
MURRAY STATE 3, SAMFORD 2
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Murray State volleyball rallied to win three sets in a row Saturday afternoon to come from behind and defeat Samford in four sets, 21-25, 25-20, 25-21 and 25-19 to close out the Samford Courtyard by Marriott Invitational. The Racers ended the invite winning 2-of-3 matches in Birmingham, Ala.
Rachel Giustino had a bigtime match in the win as she recorded a match-high 24 kills and recorded her third consecutive double-double as she also added 11 digs defensively to go along with a pair of service aces and two total blocks. Dacia Brown added nine kills in the win while Rachel Holthaus chipped in with five.
Ashley McBee led MSU (2-1) with 32 assists on the day while also adding eight digs and two blocking assists. In the backrow defensively, libero Becca Fernandez had a match-best 17 digs while Alex Kaufmann added 11.
Giustino and Fernandez were both named to the all-tournament for their efforts over the weekend.
The two teams were very even on paper as MSU hit .160 on the day and Samford posted a hitting percentage of .161. The Bulldogs also had a slight edge defensively at the net, out-blocking MSU 8-6. However, in the serving department, the Racers had a 6-5 edge in service aces while committing eight serving errors while Samford had 19 service errors as a team.
MSU returns to action next weekend as it travels to the Chattanooga Classic to begin the month of September. The Racers open the tournament Friday at 5 p.m. against Louisiana Monroe.
NEW ORLEANS 3, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Southeast Missouri (1-2) volleyball lost their third and final New Orleans Invitational match of the weekend to tournament host, the New Orleans Privateers, in five sets, 25-12, 18-25, 19-25, 25-19, 15-12, Saturday afternoon at the Human Performance Center.
SEMO split their two matches on Friday with a loss to Fordham followed by a win over Alcorn State. Both matches were the first meetings in program history for both teams. The Redhawks capped their opening weekend tournament with a loss to the Privateers to start the season with a record ot 1-2.
Senior middle blocker Nzingha Clarke and junior outside hitter Madeline Grimm were named to the 2017 New Orleans Invitational All-Tournament Team. Grimm recorded 13.5 points in the third match of the weekend via 12 kills, seven digs and an assist. Clarke chipped in seven kills and four total blocks.
SEMO lost the first set 25-12 before bouncing back to win the second and third sets 25-18 and 25-19. The Redhawks jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the second set from consecutive kills from Clarke, Haley Bilbruck and Mikayla Kuhlmann.
Grimm added back-to-back kills to extend the lead to 7-3 and Kuhlmann had six of her 14 kills in the second set alone. Madara Bajare and Clarke combined for a monster block to close out the set, 25-18.
Krista Berns recorded two service aces and a kill while serving out the last five points of the set.
Berns added two more aces in the third set and provided three consecutive block assists (two with Grimm, one with Bajare) as the Redhawks powered through the third set 25-19 to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Berns finished the match with six total blocks to lead the team.
The Privateers responded with a 25-19 fourth set win to force the decisive fifth set.
Southeast jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the final set with kills from Clarke, Grimm and Bilbruck. New Orleans then rallied off four-straight points to take a 9-5 lead prompting a Redhawks timeout. SEMO chipped away at the Privateers lead with kills from Bilbruck, an ace from Kuhlmann along with blocks from Clarke and Bilbruck to come within two points (14-12) of the home team, but couldn't finish the comeback.
Setter Keegan Fornoff led the team with 20 assists and Allie Henkelman compiled 14 in the loss. Fornoff also had five digs and a kill in the match.
Libero Emily Boggetto recorded a team-high 18 digs to lead the team defensively. She also chipped in five assists.
Southeast hosts the Redhawks Invitational for the team's home opener Sept. 1-2 at the Show Me Center. SEMO welcomes the Morgan State Bears, the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions and the Evansville Purple Aces to Cape Girardeau for the two-day tournament.
The Redhawks face Morgan State in their first tournament match on Sept. 1 at 12:30 p.m. followed by a 7 p.m. contest against the Golden Lions. Southeast takes on Evansville at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2 to finish the tournament.
AUSTIN PEAY 3, #19 MISSOURI 2
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s volleyball team overcame a five-point deficit in the final set to stun No. 19 Missouri in five sets (25-11, 19-25, 27-25, 22-25, 17-15), Saturday afternoon in the second day of the Culvers Governors Challenge at the Dunn Center.
Austin Peay (3-0) faced a five-point, 10-5, deficit in the fifth set after Missouri (2-2) rallied for runs of three and four points in the early part of the frame. The Governors knocked four points off that deficit as senior Ashley Slay and redshirt junior Christina White combined for three kills. Slay then served the Govs to a 12-11 lead with a service ace.
Three points later, Austin Peay had the first match-point chance at 14-13, but could not capitalize. Missouri scored the next two points on kills by Sydney Deeken and Kayla Caffey and had their own match point chance at 15-14.
But White came up with her 15th kill of the match to tie the set at 15-15. A Missouri attack error on the ensuing point handed APSU its second match point chance. Junior Kaylee Taff sealed the win with her fifth block stopping Missouri’s Kayla Caffey.
The match started with each team delivering a body blow to its opponent. Austin Peay dominated the first set thanks to 15 kills, five service aces and three blocks as part of a 25-11 wire-to-wire win. The Tigers responded immediately with a 13-kill, four-block outing in the second frame, which they won in wire-to-wire fashion, 25-19.
But the seeds for the drama of the final three sets were sown in the closing moments of the second set. Austin Peay trailed by 12 in the second but closed the frame by outscoring Missouri 12-6 to show they would not fade under the pressure.
The third set saw the teams trade the lead three times and battle through 10 ties with Missouri forcing overtime by denying the Govs a set-point chance at 24-23. The Govs would have two more chances to close the set at 25-24 and 26-25 with a Tigers attack error again giving APSU the set victory.
Missouri then rallied from a six-point deficit in the fourth set, using a 9-0 run to build a 14-12 lead. Austin Peay would tie the set at 18-18 but could not regain the lead and Missouri forced a fifth frame with the 25-22 win.
While Slay finished with 20 kills – her second straight 20-kill performance – the early lifting was done by White and sophomore Logan Carger. The latter duo had 11 kills each in the first three sets with White posting 15 kills and Carger 12 in the final tally. Junior Kristen Stucker posted 57 assists on the Govs 64-kill outing.
Austin Peay dominated the service game, scoring 14 service aces while Missouri notched only four aces. Freshman Brooke Moore, sophomore Ginny Gerig, White and Slay had three service aces each. Meanwhile, the Govs forced a draw at the net, tying the Tigers with nine blocks in the contest.
Missouri’s Leketor Member-Meneh saw her 22-kill outing go for naught in the loss. Alyssa Munlyn added 11 kills and seven blocks.
Austin Peay closes out the Culvers Governors Challenge with a noon, Sunday contest against Northern Iowa. The Panthers are 2-0 in the tournament after wins against Missouri and Middle Tennessee, Saturday.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 1; JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, WESTERN CAROLINA 0
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - The Jacksonville State volleyball team completed the Catamount Classic on Saturday in sensational fashion recording wins over Charleston Southern and Western Carolina to finish runner-up in the Cullowhee, N.C. tournament.
The Gamecocks (2-1) began the day with a hard-fought 3-1 win against CSU, before surging toward a 3-0 sweep of the host-school Western Carolina in the tournament finale. Seniors Charis Ludtke and Allyson Zuhlke were named to the All-Tournament following the final match. Zuhlke finished the opening weekend with 38 kills, with Ludtke just behind her at 35.
Zuhlke had 19 put-aways in Saturday's opener against CSU, just four off her career high. The Bucs and JSU went back-and-forth throughout the match, with Jax State pulling away from a 22-22 tie to take the opening set. CSU responded to take the second game to even the match, leading to a pivotal third set. The Gamecocks rushed out to a 10-3 lead to begin the third, but CSU quickly evened the score at 13. Tied at 19, CSU edged out to a 21-19 advantage forcing a JSU timeout. Out of the break, JSU rallied to force extra points before winning 27-25.
On the brink of its first win of the season, JSU stormed away with the fourth set starting with a 4-0 lead, which turned to 10-2 and eventually 20-10, before Jax State took the match with a 25-16 result. Junior Mackenzie Rombach joined Zuhlke and Ludtke with double-digit kills with 11 and a .316 hitting mark. She added a team-high six blocks to the team's 12 total stops.
In the nightcap, JSU continued the momentum from its first match, starting fast against the host school, Wester Carolina, and not letting up. The Gamecocks again pulled away from a late tie at 18-18 to take the first, 25-22. The second set wasn't as close as Jax State built a 10-point lead at 17-7, before finishing with a 25-14 victory.
Holding a 2-0 match lead, JSU closed out its first sweep of the season with a tight 26-24 final set score. Sophomore Kaylee Frear gave JSU a 20-17 lead with a key block near the end, before sealing the match with the final kill of the game. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native posted a .556 hitting clip against the Catamounts with six kills on nine swings. Freshman Kaylie Milton had six kills against WCU after recorded eight earlier in the day against the Bucs along with 14 digs.
Senior setter Jennifer Hart dished 79 assists between both Saturday contests, while senior libero Hannah Kirk dug 48 balls on the opposite side of the net. In the process, the Katy, Texas native moved into fifth-place on JSU's all-time digs list, surpassing former Gamecock All-American Abbey Breit. Behind Kirk, sophomore Rachel Perucki had 16 digs against WCU.
Freshmen Dani Steele and Madison Cooler continued their early progress as every Gamecock in uniform played in all three matches for JSU in the opening weekend.
The Gamecocks will make a stop at Jackson State next Wednesday, before continuing on to Lafayette, Louisiana for their weekend tournament.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, MEMPHIS 2; EASTERRN ILLINOIS 3, BRADLEY 2
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois volleyball scored three of the final four points in the fifth and deciding set on Saturday afternoon as the Panthers beat Memphis, 3-2 (24-26, 25-14, 27-29, 25-22, 17-15), in their second match of the EIU Panther Invitational.
Maggie Runge and Taylor Smith were big in those final EIU points. Smith set up Allie Hueston to put EIU up 15-14. After a kill by Memphis Kate Hoerdemann tied the match at 15, EIU scored the final two points. Runge hammered home a kill to put EIU up 16-15 before Runge and Smith combined for a block to seal the victory.
EIU moved to 1-1 on the season and hosts Bradley on Saturday evening in the final match of the weekend. Memphis dropped to 0-2 and wraps up tournament action against Green Bay.
Runge had 12 kills as she was one of four players to finish with double figure kills for the Panthers as they featured a balanced offensive attack. Hueston had 12 kills and a six blocks (2 solo, 8 assisted). Smith just missed a triple double finishing with 11 kills, 33 assists and nine digs.
Memphis won the opening set 26-24 with kills by Brianna Kadiku and Faith Myers sandwiched around an attack error by EIU. In the second set, Memphis could not find any offensive rhythm as they finished with a negative .125 attack percentage. The Panthers defensive play at the net in the second set was a big factor in the poor hitting. EIU had nine blocks as they pulled away for a 25-14 win. Hueston, Brown and Runge all had four block assists in the set.
The two schools battled back and forth in the next two sets with Memphis winning set three 29-27. The Tigers hit .262 in that set while EIU hit .250 with 20 kills. The Panthers picked up the fourth set win 25-22. EIU closed that set with a 4-1 run with Hueston scoring two of the Panthers points on kills.
EIU finished the match with a .202 hitting percentage and 17 total blocks. Maria Brown had a double-double with 11 kills and 14 digs. The senior also had four of the Panthers nine service aces. Memphis was led by Hannah Flowers with 16 kills.
Eastern Illinois volleyball closed out the Panther Invitational against Bradley Saturday evening. The Panthers defeated the Braves in their final contest of the tournament winning a five-set match against Bradley 3-2. (25-20, 25-18, 20-25, 20-25, and 15-10)
EIU finished in second place in the Panther Invite with their win. Eastern Illinois advances to 2-1 on the season.
EIU jumped out to an early start against the visiting Braves taking the first set 25-20. Laurel Bailey helped ignite the Panthers offense with five of her team high 13 kills in the opening set. Helping defensively was Maggie Runge totaling three blocks.
The second set featured the Panthers best attack percentage of the whole tournament hitting .455. The Braves started the set off with help from Erica Haslag, and Kathryn Graf. Maria Brown would eventually give the Panthers the spark they needed tying the game at ten with a kill. The Panthers would then take off when a Taylor Smith kill ignited a 5-0 run that would be the difference maker in the set.
Bradley would battle back and take control of the third set which they hit for a match-high average of .308 and in the fourth set with the help of Haslag who totaled a team high 19 kills in the match. Hannah Angeli led the Braves in assists with 51.
The Panthers wouldn’t let up and battled back to secure the victory in the fifth set. A Brown kill started a 3-0 run that would end up being the difference maker in the set for the Panthers to walk away victorious.
Smith recorded her first triple-double of the season totaling 13 kills, a team leading 25 assists, and 16 digs. Brown finished with 13 kills and 11 digs to record her second double-double on the day. Bailey recorded her first double-double with 14 kills and 11 digs.
The Panthers return to action on the road Sept. 1-2 in Denver where they will take part in the Denver Tournament