FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Tennessee State 3, Alcorn State 0 (25-8, 25-18, 25-14)
Memphis 3,
UT Martin 0 (28-26, 25-16, 28-26)
@Belmont 3, UT Arlington 2 (25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 19-25, 15-6)
Jacksonville State 3, Nicholls State 1 (25-13, 20-25, 25-22, 27-25)
@Souheast Missouri 3, Morgan State 0 (25-16, 26-24, 26-24)
Murray State 3, ULM 0 ( 25-13, 25-17, 25-17)
@Arizona 3,
Eastern Kentucky 0 (25-17, 25-19, 29-27)
Morehead State 3, Savannah State 0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-21)
Jacksonville State 3, Mississippi Valley 0 (25-13, 25-14, 25-15)
La Salle 3,
Tennessee Tech 0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-21)
Little Rock 3,
UT Martin 1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-23)
Niagara 3,
Eastern Illinois 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-21)
Radford 3,
Eastern Kentucky 0 (25-18, 25-24, 25-16)
Idaho State 3,
@Belmont 2 (26-24, 23-25, 20-25, 26-24, 15-10)
@Southeast Missouri 3, UAPB 0 (25-12, 25-13, 25-18)
@SIUE 3, Wright State 1 (25-20, 25-15, 23-25, 25-13)
Morehead State 3, William & Mary 0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-14)
@Tennessee State 3, New Orleans 2 (25-14, 21-25, 14-25, 25-22, 15-11)
Austin Peay 3, Georgia State 2
Austin Peay 3, @UAB 1 (25-20, 22-25, 32-30, 25-17)
MURRAY STATE 3, ULM 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Murray State opened the Chattanooga Classic with a quick sweep of Louisiana-Monroe Friday afternoon at Maclellan Gym, winning 25-13, 25-17 and 25-17. The Racers hit a season-best .400 as a team in the victory while holding the Warhawks to a .212 hitting percentage.
Rachel Giustino led the way offensively in the sweep for MSU as she recorded a match-high 19 kills and hit .500. Dacia Brown tallied a career-high 14 kills on the day while Rachel Holthaus chipped in with seven kills and hit .429.
The Racers (3-1) used three setters in the match, their third consecutive victory on the season. Courtney Radle registered 12 assists in the first set while Ashley McBee and Callie Anderton had 13 each in sets two and three, respectively.
Defensively, libero Becca Fernandez led the way with 11 digs while Holthaus had seven and Giustino and Alex Kaufmann each totaled six. Giustino and Fernandez were each stellar in the serving game as well as they both recorded career-highs with four and three service aces, respectively. For the match, MSU had a season-best 10 as a team.
MSU returns to action with a pair of matches Saturday at the classic as it plays Sam Houston State at 9 a.m., before closing the tournament against host-Chattanooga at 6 p.m.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, NICHOLLS STATE 1; JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 0
LAFAYETTE, La. - The Jacksonville State volleyball team ran its winning streak to four matches on Friday with victories over Nicholls State and Mississippi Valley to open the Sawyer Camillo Memorial Tournament.
The Gamecocks (4-1) downed the Colonels in four sets (25-13, 20-25, 25-22, 27-25) in the first match of the day, before returning to sweep MVSU to conclude the opening day.
JSU was paced by a dominating performance from junior Mackenzie Rombach in the opener against Nicholls. The Ottawa, Ill., native led the team with 13 kills and seven blocks, coming just shy of her career highs in both categories. Seniors Charis Ludtke and Allyson Zuhlke joined the double-digit kill club with 11 and 10, apiece. The offense was directed by senior Jennifer Hart's 30 assists.
The Gamecocks got off to a fast start against the Colonels grabbing a 12-5 advantage in the first and forcing Nicholls to call for time. JSU increased its lead out to double figures on its way to a 25-13 result. However, Nicholls flipped the script in the second forcing JSU to call an early timeout after falling behind. The Colonels would lead the rest of the set to even the match at 1-1.
In the third, Jax State began to build a cushion late as freshman Madison Cooler put away one of her seven total kills to make it a 19-13 contest. Nicholls would rally late, but the Gamecocks held on for a 25-22 set win. The two squads hardly separated in the fourth frame which saw Nicholls face set-point with leads at 24-23 and 25-24, but were staved off each time by the Gamecocks. JSU eventually would take the lead and secure the match with a 27-25 extra-points victory.
Senior Hannah Kirk led a balanced defense with 22 digs, while 10 total Gamecocks recorded multiple digs. At the net, Rombach's seven blocks were only part of the story as Kaylee Frear pitched in six rejections, followed by Madison Cooler with four.
Jax State stayed hot in the afternoon match against MVSU, dropping the Devilettes in straight sets. The Gamecocks had a strong offensive afternoon hitting .323 in the first set, .250 in the second and .290 in the third and final frame. Frear led the Gamecocks with a season-high nine kills against MVSU.
The Gamecocks return to Earl K. Long Gym tomorrow for a noon matchup with Houston Baptist, followed by a 4 p.m. first serve against the host school, Louisiana.
NIAGARA 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
DENVER, Colo. - Eastern Illinois volleyball opened up the Denver Pioneer Classic against Niagara Friday afternoon. The Panthers lost to the Purple Eagles in their first contest of the tournament losing a three-set match (22-25, 21-25, and 21-25)
The Panthers had their best hitting average of the match in the second set totaling .265. Taylor Smith and Maria Brown led the Panthers in kills for the day each totaling ten.
The Panthers most dominant set of the day was the second set where they challenged the Purple Eagles tying the set three times, and taking the lead twice. Brown and Morgan Matusik gave the Panthers the offensive push they were looking for totaling four kills each in the second-set.
Smith recorded her second triple-double of the season finishing with ten kills, a team leading 19 assists, and ten digs.
Niagara was able to put the match away hitting .256 in the final set with just two attack errors. Nicole Matheis led the Purple Eagles with 12 kills. Niagara was effective at the net finishing with six total blocks.
The Panthers return to action to start the second day of the Pioneer Classic against UC Davis at 10 a.m. Following their morning showdown, they will close out tournament play against host Denver at 7 p.m.
ARIZONA 3, SAVANNAH STATE 0; RADFORD 3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 0
TUSCON, Ariz. - The Eastern Kentucky University volleyball team struggled to get anything going in day one of the Cactus Classic hosted by the University of Arizona falling to both Arizona and Radford University in three sets.
In game one EKU fell to Arizona by scores of 17-25, 19-25 and 27-29.
In the third set the score was tied at 6-6 until Rachel Woody came up with a kill to spark a 6-2 run for EKU that ended on service ace from Lauren Kolenik, 12-8. The Colonels were able to hold off the Wildcats until UA’s Devyn Cross notched a kill to tie the set at 22. The score tied five more times before a pair of kills gave Arizona the set and match.
EKU fell to Radford by scores of 18-25, 14-25 and 16-25.
In the second set the teams went point-for-point until the 9-9 mark in the match, then an attack error on the Colonel side sparked an 11-2 run for the Highlanders that EKU was unable to snuff, 20-12.
A bright spot for the Colonels was Woody, who notched a double-double in each game. Against Arizona she had 15 assists and 10 digs, against Radford she notched 20 assists and 11 digs.
Libero Chloe Rojas combined for 31 digs in the matches.
EKU drops to 2-4 on the season while Arizona improves to 3-1 and Radford moves to 5-0.
The Colonels will play Grand Canyon at 2 p.m. eastern time tomorrow to finish their west coast swing.
BELMONT 3, UT ARLINGTON 2; IDAHO STATE 3, BELMONT 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont Volleyball battled into a fifth set to pull out a win over UT Arlington on the opening day of the Bruiser Showcase. The Bruins (4-1) handed the Mavericks (3-1) their first loss of the season with the 3-2 victory.
Belmont edged out the Mavericks in the first two sets, 25-23 and 25-22, respectively, so it looked like it would be an easy go in the third frame. However, UT Arlington came up with a massive rally to eventually push the match into a fifth and deciding stanza.
The Mavericks came out hot to start the third set and kept pushing through a series of early ties that put the Bruins on their heels. UTA surged behind a 5-0 run to go 17-12. Even with a called timeout, BU struggled to find an answer down the stretch. Belmont used a kill by senior Arianna Person (Lenexa, Kan.) to inch within two points, 20-18. A kill by junior Alexa Nichols (Walton, Ky.) would give the Bruins a slim lead, 23-22, but UT Arlington rallied for the final three points to take the set.
The start of the fourth set was another intense back and forth battle, with neither team able to hold on to it's a lead by more than a point. After stalemates all the way through the 12th point, UT Arlington began to pull away. The Mavericks were able to blow their lead up to 21-18 before the Bruins were forced to burn a timeout. However, BU was only able to add one more point down the stretch as UTA took the set, 25-19.
In their second fifth set match of the season, the Bruins came out streaking, going to 5-1 and did not look back. Belmont took an 8-2 lead at the switch and continued to grow its lead down the stretch. With a 10-3 advantage, UT Arlington called timeout to try to get a handle on the set but it was too little too late. A resounding dual block by freshman Huntir Bass (Mobile, Ala.) and Person sealed the 15-6 set win that gave BU the match, 3-2.
Graduate student Jessica Vestal (Concord, Calif.) led all Bruins with a season-high 13 kills. Three more Bruins reached double digits in kills – Person and Nichols with 11 apiece and junior Maggie Mullins (Nashville, Tenn.) with 10. Price tallied a match-high 48 assists in the effort. Senior Ellie Ivancich (Naperville, Ill.) and Person led the team in digs with 17 and 13, respectively.
Lightning could not strike twice for Belmont Volleyball in its second match at its Bruiser Showcase on Friday. The Bruins (4-2) were bested in its second five set match of the day, falling to first-time opponent Idaho State (3-2), 3-2.
The Bruins exploded to open the first stanza, taking a six-point, 11-5, point lead. However, it would be short lived as the Bengals put together a 10-0 that lifted them to 15-11 advantage. Following a timeout, a kill by senior Brie Lewis (Stillwell, Kan.) knotted the score 16-16 before classmate Arianna Person (Lenexa, Kan.) drilled a kill into the center of the floor to put Belmont ahead for the first time since its early rally. The Bengals would not go away easy, battling back to knot the score, 20-20. ISU kept up the pressure in the waning points and edged BU down the stretch, 26-24.
Slow and steady was the name of the game for set two as the Bruins methodically worked their way through the frame. Belmont built a two-point advantage early and managed to hold on to it through the midpoint of the set. The teams settled into a tough back and forth battle after a 16-16 stalemate. The Bengals were the first to heat up, rolling off five straight points to take a 22-18 lead but Belmont was able to quickly bounce back. Kills by junior Alexa Nichols (Walton, Ky.) and Person kept the fire going down the stretch as BU evened the set total with the 25-23 win.
Set three saw the Bengals jump out to a 3-1 lead before the Bruins came firing back behind back-to-back service aces by Lewis and a trio of kills by Person fueled the Belmont surge, lifting it to a 9-6 lead. BU was only able to expand its lead to at most three points at any time before Idaho State charged back. Finally, Belmont was able to break away behind the serving of senior Emily Richards (Penfield, N.Y.). Kills by graduate student Jessica Vestal (Concord, Calif.) and Nichols helped give Belmont a two set advantage after the 25-20 win.
The teams fell into the same rhythm of trading points to open the fourth set before locking at 10-10. The foes stalemated numerous times, including at 20-20. Crucial kills down the stretch by Vestal and Person would not be enough to prevent Belmont from heading into a fifth set for the second time that day. Idaho State took full advantage of Bruin attack errors to take the fourth frame, 26-24.
Much like the proceeding sets, the teams traded points early to open set five. Belmont was the first to put distance between the first-time opponents using back-to-back kills by Vestal to give the team a 6-3 lead. ISU brined a timeout to regroup and came out swinging, recording six straight points. The Bruins, now trailing, 9-6, called a timeout of their own. Unfortunately, BU could never make up the group in the waning points. Belmont burned a second timeout, down 13-9 but it did not hold back the Bengals won used a kill and a service ace to seal the set and match.
Two Bruins finished the night with double-doubles – Person rang up a match-high 21 kills and 15 digs while Lewis had 14 kills and 19 digs. Vestal also reached double digits in kills, adding 13, while Richards wowed with a match-high 29 digs. Freshman Akia Warrior (Ft. Worth, Texas) notched 34 assists and senior Emma Price (Fort Mill, S.C.) added 17. Lewis also wrapped the night with a whopping five service aces.
Belmont returns to action on Saturday for its last match of the Bruiser Showcase when it takes on in-state rival MTSU. First serve is set for 2 p.m.
LA SALLE 3, TENNESSEE TECH 0
AKRON, Ohio - Tennessee Tech volleyball struggled through its opener at the Akron Invitational Friday night, eventually falling 0-3 (14-25, 19-25, 21-25) to the La Salle Explorers.
The Golden Eagles (2-2) couldn’t overcome their passing problems and, coupled with factors like La Salle’s nine service aces, found themselves trailing by large deficits to the Explorers (4-1) throughout the match.
Starting middle blocker Rachel Thomas and outside hitter Shealene Little were held to negative hitting percentages of -.200 and -.053 respectively, totaling just 5 kills off 29 attacks. Outside hitter Abigail Duncan, who came in off the bench, was also held to a -.071 percentage. As a whole, the team totaled a .056 hitting percentage, with Kellie Williams managing to hit .227.
Tech began the match shaky, falling into a 7-1 hole early before a called timeout. It eventually cut the La Salle lead to 17-14, but the Explorers went on an 8-0 run to lock up the first set win.
In the second set, Tech again fell into a big deficit, trailing 20-10. It managed to cut the lead to within five points at 22-17 La Salle, but the Explorers held on to win the second set 25-19.
Tech was finally able to grab a lead in the third set, up 14-10 and needing a win to extend the match. However, La Salle tied it up at 19-all and inched ahead, winning by its closest margin at 25-21.
Tech looks to bounce back in its final two games of the Akron Invitational. It will play a double-header Saturday, facing Akron at 11:30 a.m. CT and Loyola (Md.) at 3:30 p.m. CT.
MOREHEAD STATE 3, SAVANNAH STATE 0; MOREHEAD STATE 3, WILLIAM & MARY 0
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Utilizing a balanced attack and an efficient back line and service effort, the Morehead State volleyball team opened the Colonial Classic with a pair of 3-0 sweeps on Friday. The Eagles shut out Savannah State (25-18, 25-14, 25-21) before handing the host William & Mary Tribe the same result (26-24, 25-23, 25-14).
Morehead State is now 4-2 in 2017.
The Eagles got a team-best 13 kills off a .308 hitting day from freshman outside hitter Lauren Rokey in the opening match versus SSU. Defensively, sophomore libero Danielle McCarson had 12 digs and also served up four aces to help her conference-leading stat total. Junior setter/right-side Jordan Jones handled a majority of the play-calling, dishing out 36 assists.
Following a .194 attack effort in the opening set, Morehead State racked up 30 kills and mishit only 11 times in the last two frames.
In the nightcap, the Eagles ran a 6-2 offense with Jones and freshman setter Chandler Clark sharing the duties. Jones had 22 assists and also slammed in 12 kills on a .250 hitting day. The hot hand went to freshman middle blocker Olivia Lohmeier, who landed 12 winners and hit a season-best .556.
Rokey came up with a near double-double, with 14 digs and nine kills.
McCarson dug up 17 Tribe attempts, while freshman back liner Taylor Hodges scooped up 13. Junior middle Maddie Fella smacked back six blocks and had five kills and no attack errors. The team recorded nine total blocks.
SIUE 3, WRIGHT STATE 1
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE ran its season record to 4-0 with a four-set victory over Wright State in the opening match at the Cougar Classic Presented by DoubleTree Hotels.
This is SIUE's fastest start during the Division I era and equals the start of the 2007 team, the program's last non-Division I squad.
SIUE defeated Wright State 25-20, 25-15, 23-25, 25-13 in front of a crowd of 314 at the Vadalabene Center. The Cougars have two matches left in the tournament with a 12:30 p.m. contest against Tulsa followed by a 7 p.m. match against UMKC.
The Cougars came out strong in the opening two sets, hitting better than .300. Set three was a bit of a roadblock, however, after committing 10 attack errors, more than in the other three sets combined. The Cougars made it close despite falling behind 13-4 in the set.
SIUE steamrolled through the fourth set. After holding a 9-7 lead, the Cougars went on a 9-1 run off serving from Jordyn Klein and Katie Shashack.
Six different players finished the match with seven or more kills. Ashley Witt led the team with 11 kills and a .370 hitting percentage.
Taylor Joens and Jackie Scott collected nine each. Dylynn Otte and Emily Harrison notched eight apiece while Kiana Fields added seven.
SIUE's defense collected 83 digs with another balanced effort. Setter Mallory Nicholson led the squad with 17. Shashack (15), Klein (14), Scott (13) and Samantha Knight (11) also finished in double digits.
For the match, SIUE hit .233 as a team while holding Wright State to .097 team hitting. Katie Klusman led Wright State with 14 kills.
The Cougars were able to maneuver through opening night jitters.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, MORGAN STATE 0; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, UAPB 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri volleyball (3-2) opened their home schedule with two straight-set victories over Morgan State (0-5) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-5) on Friday at the 2017 Redhawks Invitational at the Show Me Center.
SEMO opened the day with a 25-16, 26-24, 26-24 win over the Lady Bears of Morgan State and then defeated the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions 25-12, 25-13, 25-18 in the Redhawks Invitational night cap.
"A lot of the success today attributes to having a lot of hitters contributing," coach Julie Yankus said of today's six set performance. "We had a very well balanced offense tonight against Pine Bluff, which really made them struggle. I'm really happy for the team. It's great to walk out tonight with two wins."
Senior outside hitter Krissa Gearring recorded a team-high 15 kills in the first match against the Lady Bears and added eight more in the win over the Golden Lions to surpass 1,000 career kills as a Redhawk.
"A very well deserved honor for Krissa Gearring today," Yankus said of the accomplishment. "One thousand kills is a huge milestone for any collegiate player so this is a very big deal. For her to do it this soon in her senior year is great and I can't wait till she reaches that 1,000 dig mark as well because that is coming up next."
Gearring increased her career digs total to 989 with nine against Morgan State and seven with the win over the Golden Lions.
Southeast Missouri 3, Morgan State 0 (25-16, 26-24, 26-24)
SEMO jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the match thanks to a service ace from freshman Ally Dion to cap the opening set, 25-16. Southeast and Morgan State swapped points before the Redhawks went on a 7-0 run to increase their lead to 19-12 and eventually break away for good.
The second and third sets were more competitive and Southeast needed to come from behind in both sets.
Morgan State had leads of 18-13 and 20-17 before the Redhawks pulled off their second set comeback. Junior rightside hitter Madara Bajare notched three kills and averaged a .600 hitting percentage in the second set alone. Bajare and junior outside hitter Madeline Grimm combined for three kills to bring the score within one point at 18-17. Senior middle blocker Nzingha Clarke added three kills down the stretch to finish the set, 26-24.
Clarke and Grimm each chipped in seven kills in Friday afternoon's home opener.
SEMO finished the match with another comeback, this time from a 20-14 deficit in the third set. Gearring had seven of her team-high 15 kills in the final set and sophomore Krista Berns and Clarke combined for the block to seal the match at 26-24. Berns led the team with three blocks and three services aces.
Dion had eight digs defensively as libero and setter Keegan Fornoff handed out a team-high 22 assists.
Gearring finished the match with a team-high hitting percentage of .538.
Southeast Missouri 3, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0 (25-12, 25-13, 25-18)
SEMO clinched their second win of the Redhawks Invitational in their evening set against the Golden Lions.
Gearring led the team again in hitting with a .500 clip and Berns led Southeast with nine kills and four blocks.
SEMO went on an 8-2 run to close out the first set on Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Dion hit seven straight serves to bring the Southeast lead to 24-10. She had four of her five services aces in the opening set alone.
The Redhawks continued their dominance in the second set, with a convincing 25-13 win and followed it up with a 25-18 third set to seal the match. Southeast hit a set-best .375 hitting percentage in the second set.
Fornoff tallied a team-high 16 assists and Allie Henkelman added 15. Dion started for the second straight game at libero and recorded 12 digs.
Offensively, Grimm, Bajare and Clarke all chipped in six kills each.
Southeast closes the Redhawks Invitational on Saturday at 2 p.m. with a meeting against undefeated Evansville (5-0).
MEMPHIS 3, UT MARTIN 0; LITTLE ROCK 3, UT MARTIN 0
CONWAY, Ark. - The University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team competed throughout today at the UCA Invitational but the Skyhawks dropped a 3-0 decision to Memphis (26-28, 16-25, 26-28) before falling 3-1 to Little Rock (25-23, 19-25, 20-25, 23-25) at the Farris Center.
Megan Fair led UT Martin (2-4) with 27 kills and 25 digs today, including a career-best 21 kills on a .333 attack percentage and 14 digs in the nightcap against Little Rock. Jemima Idemudia slammed down 25 kills on the day while Kenzie Hinshaw (72 assists, 10.29 per set) and Brooke Gyori (39 digs, 5.57 per set) additionally performed well today for the Skyhawks.
UT Martin completes the UCA Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 2 when it takes on host Central Arkansas. First serve is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Memphis
The first match of the day was a wild one, as there were 31 tie scores and 16 lead changes in the three sets before Memphis escaped with the win.
Hayley Gray, Macy Reigelsperger and Idemudia each contributed kills early in the first set to give UT Martin a 3-1 advantage. The Tigers took their first lead at 5-4 but a pair of Reigelsperger kills bookended a 4-0 Skyhawk run that resulted in a 14-12 lead for UT Martin. The Skyhawks roared back to tie the score at 18-all and soon found themselves in position for set point at 24-23 following a kill by Hannah Phillips. Memphis then scored the next two points and UT Martin staved off elimination twice with kills by Idemudia and Fair before the Tigers eventually pieced together two straight points to wrap up the set.
Idemudia led all players with six kills in the opening set while Hinshaw and Kelly Lean each handed out seven assists apiece for the Skyhawks.
A Rachel Noffsinger kill and solo block on back-to-back possessions gave UT Martin an early lead in the second set but Memphis used a 9-0 run to go on top by an 11-3 margin. Noffsinger immediately came back with two straight kills as part of a 4-0 Skyhawk run but the Tigers soon scored seven of eight points during one stretch to take a 20-10 lead. Gray added a pair of kills late as UT Martin closed to within six points at 22-16 but that was as close as the Skyhawks would get the rest of the way.
Noffsinger (four kills on eight swings) and Gyori (nine digs) paced UT Martin in the second set.
The third set alone featured 15 ties and six lead changes. The Skyhawks overcame a 3-1 deficit to go ahead 5-4 but an extended Memphis run resulted in a 12-8 UT Martin deficit. The Skyhawks continued to chip away at the Tiger lead until a Noffsinger service ace equaled the score at 15-all. UT Martin then received three consecutive points via Idemudia kills and eventually broke through to take a 20-19 lead. Another Noffsinger kill made the score 24-21 and had the Skyhawks in prime position to force a fourth set but Memphis made a comeback. UT Martin had set point on three different occasions but the Tigers ended the set with three unanswered points to win the match.
Idemudia’s seven kills were a team-high while Hinshaw (10 assists) and Fair (six digs) also helped guide UT Martin in the final set.
Little Rock
The Skyhawks were able to claim the first set but could not withstand a Trojan rally in their second match of the day, coming up just short against Little Rock.
Fair began her spectacular performance with a kill and a service ace to help UT Martin take a 4-1 lead in the opening set. The Skyhawks led by a 6-5 margin but the Trojans scored eight of the next 10 points, going on top 13-8 before a Fair kill temporarily halted Little Rock’s momentum. Moments later, the Trojans went on a 5-0 run to take an eight-point lead (21-13) but UT Martin stormed back to end the set on a 12-2 surge. Fair ignited the Skyhawk run with five kills in that span.
Fair dialed up eight kills with just one error in 13 swings (.538 hitting percentage) in the first set while Hinshaw and Gyori posted 15 assists and 10 digs, respectively.
UT Martin jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the second set but Little Rock quickly turned things around to lead by a 7-5 margin. Idemudia (three kills) and Fair (two kills) joined forces to score five straight Skyhawk points but the Trojans turned a three-point lead into a 22-13 advantage after reeling off six unanswered points. Fair kept UT Martin close with two more kills but the Skyhawks wouldn’t get closer than five points for the duration of the set.
Four different Skyhawks were responsible for the early 6-3 lead in the third set, as Hinshaw (service ace), Justine Walker (kill), Jamie Rys (kill) and Gray (kill) helped UT Martin get off to a blazing start. However, Little Rock responded with a 9-2 run to open up a 12-8 advantage. The Skyhawks closed the gap to within three points after a Rys kill and Trojan attack error made the score 17-14 but four consecutive points lifted Little Rock to a seven-point gap on its way to the third set victory.
Rys came away with a team-best four kills in the third set but the Trojans hit .257 with 15 kills as a team to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
UT Martin recovered from a six-point deficit to tighten things up at the end but fell victim to a late Little Rock rally in the fourth set. The Skyhawks briefly led until an 8-1 Trojan run tilted the score in favor of Little Rock at 9-3. UT Martin continued to scratch and claw, as Fair produced four kills while the Skyhawks evened the score at 15-15. The Trojans bounced right back with a 5-1 run and eventually took a 22-18 lead but UT Martin kept battling. Fair (kill) and Gyori (service ace) provided points while a trio of Little Rock attack errors trimmed the Skyhawk deficit to 24-23. However, Little Rock was able to break away with the victory on the next possession.
Gyori tallied seven of the 24 Skyhawk digs in the final set but UT Martin struggled offensively, hitting -.023 with 14 errors in 44 attempts.