FRIDAY'S SCORES
Morehead State 3, @Eastern Illinois 0 (25-11, 25-13, 30-28)
@Austin Peay 3, Belmont 0 (26-24, 25-16, 25-21)
@Murray State 3, Tennessee State 0 (25-22, 27-25, 25-15)
@UT Martin 3, SIUE 1 (27-25, 25-18, 19-25, 25-7)
Southeast Missouri 3, @Tennessee Tech 1 (25-23, 26-24, 20-25, 25-16)
MOREHEAD STATE 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Holding host Eastern Illinois to a negative attack percentage in the first two sets and getting a match-high 15 kills off a .419 attack percentage herself from Olivia Lohmeier, Morehead State volleyball rolled to its eighth consecutive victory Friday afternoon, sweeping the Panthers 3-0.
The Eagles handed the home team 25-11 and 25-13 setbacks to take a 2-0 lead and then faced a stiffer challenge from the EIU crew in the third before prevailing 30-28. The hosts actually had set point at 24-22, but sophomore Abby Hulsman thwarted that thought with back-to-back spikes while also securing the final point on a kill.
MSU is now 8-2 in the OVC and 12-9 overall, while EIU lost its 12th straight and is winless in league play at 0-10. MSU has won four straight over EIU and 18 of the last 21 meetings.
Lohmeier was true on 15 swings, committing only two errors on 31 swings for a .419 efficiency. That's her third best of the 2021 fall season. She pounded in nine kills in the deciding set after garnering just one in set two. Behind her, freshman Maycie Welborn and Hulsman both contributed nine+ points with nine kills each (Welborn added a block as well).
Freshman McKenzee Wagener continued her league-leading block force with four while adding six kills, and fellow middle Irene Wogenstahl also had six terminations. The pair combined to hit .370 with only two errors.
Defensively the Eagles forced the Panthers into 14 errors in the first set while EIU only had 13 kills at that point. The third was a bit different as EIU found the open floor 15 times wit just four mistakes. But MSU slammed in 21 kills in the final set.
Junior libero Allison Whitten was the lone player for either squad in double-digit digs as she scooped up 12. Junior setter Bridget Bessler returned to action after missing last weekend at home and had 37 assists and nine digs, while senior Taylor Hodges landed four of the Eagles' 11 aces.
EIU was led by Kameryn Sillmon with seven kills and four block assists, Kylie Michael with seven kills and two block assists, Elisave Papageorgiou with four block assists and five digs, and Summerlyn Smith with 18 assists to finish the night.
The teams will put the wraps on the weekend series Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at Lantz Arena.
AUSTIN PEAY 3, BELMONT 0
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Despite a strong start, Belmont University volleyball fell in straight sets to OVC-leading Austin Peay at the Dunn Center in Clarksville on Friday night.
The Bruins (8-13, 6-5 OVC) dropped the match 24-26, 16-25, and 21-25, snapping a three-match conference winning streak.
Four Bruins finished with at least seven kills to highlight a balanced attack: Laura Shoopman (9), Lauren Walsh (8), Taylor Floyd (7), and Mary Catherine Ball (7).
Carly Mason tallied 21 assists, and Izzy Schauer chipped in ten assists to go along with eight digs.
Belmont got off to a strong start, pushing Austin Peay (16-7, 9-1 OVC) for every point in the first set. Neither team led by more than two after the Bruins jumped in front, 3-0, to start the night.
Hitting an efficient .268 in the set, Belmont tied things 17-17, 21-21, and 24-24 before Austin Peay was able to rattle off two tense points to take Game 1, 26-24.
In the second frame, Belmont continued to battle, hanging tight with the Governors and leading 15-13 more than halfway through the set. However, a furious Austin Peay rally turned the game on its head, as the Governors went on a 12-1 run to win 25-16 in Game 2.
After jumping in front with the 2-0 set lead, Austin Peay kept Belmont off balance with another back-and-forth third set. Despite four kills and four digs from Shoopman, when the dust settled, the Governors had clinched a 3-0 win with a 25-21 final in the frame.
Belmont was effective from the service line in the loss, recording four service aces to just three service errors.
Taylor Floyd and Rachel McBride each finished with 11 digs.
Austin Peay's conference-leading offense showcased why they've been so effective during OVC play, hitting .317 as a team over the course of the match.
Mikayla Powell led the Govs with 11 kills while Erin Eisenhart had 12 digs and Brooke Moree added 10.
Belmont gets a rematch with Austin Peay on Saturday, Oct. 23. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+, and live stats will be available on both BelmontBruins.com and on the official app of the Belmont Bruins.
MURRAY STATE 3, TENNESSEE STATE 0
MURRAY, Ky. - The Murray State Racers volleyball team (12-9, 6-5 OVC) were up to the challenge that the Tennessee State Tigers (9-12, 1-11) put up on Friday night in Racer Arena, winning in straight sets, 25-22, 27-25, 25-15.
The Racers' extended their win streak to four games, their longest since 2019, and moved one game over .500 in conference play. Murray State is now 6-0 at Racer Arena this season and 18-1 in sets, the only set loss coming against Tennessee Tech.
Tennessee State came out looking to snap their seven-game losing streak, jumping out to an early lead in the opening set, but the Racers matched their energy and used a big run of 9-1 to take a 1-0 lead.
Murray State needed extra time in the second set to pull out the 27-25 set victory but closed out the match and the weekend with a quick 25-15 set three win.
Brooke Lynn Watts had another big night for the Racers, finishing with 13 kills on a .385 attacking clip.
Alexa Harris followed closely behind with 11 kills, just missing a double-double with nine digs but served a season-high four aces.
Kolby McClelland had eight kills on a .333 attacking % and added two solo blocks and two block assists.
Bailey DeMier paced the Racers with 35 assists, eight digs and served two aces and one block assist.
Defensively, Becca Fernandez collected 18 digs, four assists, and two aces with Dahlia Miller tallying ten digs for her tenth double-digit dig game of the season.
Tennessee State was led by Aniya Williams with nine kills while Gina Rivera Ortiz had a team-best 11 digs.
UT MARTIN 3, SIUE 1
EDWARADSVILLE, Ill. - Freshman Dylan Mott scooped up a season-best 22 digs for the University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball squad this evening, helping the Skyhawks earn a four-set triumph (27-25, 25-18, 19-25, 25-7) at SIUE.
Mott's effort keyed a stingy UT Martin defensive effort as the host Cougars hit only .050 for the match. The Skyhawks turned away 13 blocks and collected 60 digs, improving to 7-4 in Ohio Valley Conference play and 11-13 overall.
Haeleigh Paulino accounted for her 12th double-double of the season, tallying 23 assists and 10 digs. Logan Wallick tied for a match-high 12 kills and was followed closely behind by Olivia Saunders (11 kills on a .381 hitting percentage to go along with six blocks). Addy Vaughn (16 assists) and Karen Scanlon (nine kills, match-high seven blocks) also played big roles for UT Martin this evening.
The first set was the most competitive as the two sides combined for 10 tie scores and eight lead changes. The Skyhawks raced out to a 5-1 lead behind a pair of early kills from Francela Ulate. SIUE answered with six of the next seven points but back-to-back kills from Vaughn and Saunders tilted the score back in UT Martin's favor at 11-10. The Cougars went on top by a 20-15 margin but the Skyhawks fought back, claiming set point (24-22) following a 5-0 run that included back-to-back kills from Addison Conley. The Cougars chalked up three straight points to notch set point but UT Martin reeled off three consecutive points to take a 1-0 lead. Saunders formed a wall in the opening set, rejecting four blocks.
Saunders slammed down three kills in the Skyhawks' first eight points of the second set as UT Martin claimed an 8-6 advantage. Following a 4-1 SIUE surge, a Scanlon kill capped off five straight points for the Skyhawks to make the score 14-10. The UT Martin trio of Scanlon, Conley and Wallick each had a pair of kills as the Skyhawks outscored the Cougars by an 11-6 margin down the stretch. As a team, UT Martin hit .300 with just four errors in 30 swings as Saunders tied for a team-high with four kills in only six attempts.
Wallick compiled kills on the Skyhawks' first two points of the third set but SIUE claimed an 8-4 lead. The Cougar lead expanded to 13-6 before UT Martin went on a 4-1 run to close within four points. During one stretch, Saunders collected three consecutive kills to help ignite a Skyhawk rally but UT Martin would not get within five points the rest of the way. Mott came away with eight digs in the third set alone to pace the Skyhawks.
The fourth set was all UT Martin as the Skyhawks sided out at 100 percent (8-for-8), hit .500 as a team (with just one error) and limited SIUE to a -.192 attack percentage (five kills, 10 errors in 26 swings). UT Martin nabbed a 7-2 lead behind a kill and service ace from Ulate. A pair of Saunders kills – sandwiched around a Cougar attack error – started a 6-2 Skyhawk advantage and forced SIUE to burn a timeout. The Cougars recorded a kill on their first possession once play resumed but that was it as UT Martin ended the set on a remarkable 11-0 run.
Julia Treichel led the Cougars with 12 kills and 13 digs, while Savannah Christian followed close behind with nine kills. Nicole Kijowski led the Cougars with 18 digs, while Alyse Drifka once again eclipsed the 20-assist mark with a team-best 23.
The Skyhawks conclude a four-match road swing tomorrow when they face the same SIUE squad. First serve is set for 2 p.m. from First Community Arena.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, TENNESSEE TECH 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (18-5, 9-2 OVC) increased its win streak to eight matches with a 3-1 (25-23, 26-24, 20-25, 25-16) victory over Tennessee Tech (10-11, 5-5 OVC) Friday evening at the Eblen Center.
SEMO won its first match in Cookeville, Tennessee, over TTU since Oct. 27, 2017 (3-0).
The Redhawks have now won eight straight matches and dropped just two sets in that span.
Laney Malloy led the SEMO offense with 18 kills and eight digs as four Redhawks finished in double-digits.
Colby Greene added 12 kills while Zoey Beasley, the reigning back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week, finished with 11. Talia Gouard chipped in 10 kills on a .563 hitting clip.
SEMO jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the match that it extended to 9-2.
Kills from Beasley, Mackenzie Meehan and Greene pushed the margin to 14-6.
Gouard, Beasley and Izzy Lukens added kills to provide the Redhawks a seven-point lead (21-14) and prompt a TTU timeout.
The Golden Eagles then pulled within one, 22-21, on a 5-0 run. Madeline Furtado then connected on a kill before a solo block by Morgan Gish evened the frame at 23-23.
SEMO then claimed the set after a kill by Malloy coupled with a TTU error following a Redhawks timeout.
Malloy and Greene each had five kills in the opening set. The Redhawks hit at a pace of .273 to start Friday's match.
SEMO then eked out a tight 26-24 second frame to increase its advantage to 2-0. The second set featured 11 ties and two lead changes.
The frame was knotted at 7-7 and 10-10 early before a kill by Beasley followed by a TTU error gave the Redhawks a 15-13 edge at the media timeout.
Gouard then blasted a kill after a Golden Eagles service error for a slight 19-16 lead.
A 3-0 rally by Tennessee Tech then retied the set at 20-20.
Ties of 21-21, 22-22 and 23-23 followed in the back and forth affair.
Kills from Furtado and Taylor Dorsey brought on set point for the Golden Eagles, 24-23.
Trailing 24-23, SEMO closed the stanza on a 3-0 rally to grab a 2-0 advantage in the match.
Malloy (2) and Gouard combined for three kills to claim the set for SEMO. The duo each had five rally stoppers in the second stanza as Gouard connected at a pace of .714.
Tennessee Tech forced a fourth set with a 25-20 third frame. TTU outhit SEMO, .242 to .075, in the set.
The Golden Eagles took a 12-6 lead on a 5-0 rally that grew to 18-13.
SEMO continued to chip away at the deficit and came within one, 20-19, on a kill from Claire Ochs.
A block assist by Meehan and Greene kept it a one-point set (21-20) before TTU grabbed the set on a 4-0 rally.
Madolyn Isringhausen had a team-high five kills in the set for Tennessee Tech.
SEMO then captured the match with a dominating fourth set led by Malloy (five kills, .333).
The Redhawks commenced the final set with a 5-1 lead that widened to 9-5 after a 3-0 rally.
SEMO doubled its lead to 12-6 after three consecutive Golden Eagles errors.
Beasley then knocked a kill to make the score 14-9.
A 4-0 run by the Redhawks pushed the margin to 19-11.
Greene added a pair of kills to go along with a pair of TTU errors to provide SEMO a 10-point lead (23-13).
Malloy added two more kills as the Redhawks claimed the match with a 25-16 fourth set.
SEMO outhit Tennessee Tech, .239 to .161, as the Golden Eagles closed the match with a -.077 in the fourth set.
Kills finished tied at 58-58.
TTU had three aces compared to none for SEMO.
The Golden Eagles had a slight 10-9 lead in blocks. Meehan paced the Redhawks with six to go along with two kills, while Greene had five blocks. Malloy, Gouard and Beasley each had two blocks.
Ochs dished out 48 assists with nine digs and four kills as Tech led the assists category overall, 52-51.
Digs finished knotted at 59-59.
Tara Beilsmith finished with a match-high 21 digs and three assists.
Taylor Dorsey led TTU with 18 kills. Ashley Hand finished with 49 assists and 10 digs.
McKenna Young led the Golden Eagles with 16 digs.
Malloy finished with 55 total attacks and is now the Redhawks leader (25-point rally scoring era from 2008 to present) for the category with 4,121. She surpassed Krissa Gearring (4,066, 2014-17) Friday.
With the victory Friday night, head coach Julie Yankus has compiled 100 OVC wins. She is the second coach in SEMO program history to reach 100 OVC wins as Cindy Gannon totaled 204 from 1989-2004 (SEMO joined the OVC in 1991).
SEMO closes out the weekend series at TTU Saturday evening. First service is set for 7 p.m., CT at the Eblen Center.