SUNDAY'S SCORES
@SIUE 3, Eastern Illinois 0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-19)
Jacksonville State 3, @Morehead State 2 (20-25, 25-18, 16-25, 25-22, 15-8)
@Tennessee State 3, Eastern Kentucky 1 (22-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-10)
@Southeast Missouri 3, Murray State 0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-16)
@Tennessee Tech 3, Belmont 1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-15, 25-13)
SIUE 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE volleyball notched their fifth consecutive win with a 3-0 victory over rival Eastern Illinois on Dig Pink night.
All three sets were tighly-contested, but the Cougars' stellar offensive efforts would carry them to the victory. The Cougars took the first set, 25-21, before an even narrower 25-23 second-set victory. The Cougars knocked the rust off in the third and decisive set, securing a six-point win to give SIUE their ninth win of the Spring 2021 season.
Sydney Hummert led the Red & White with 14 kills and 10 digs, good for an impressive .448 hitting percentage. Rachel McDonald was not far behind, notching 11 kills and 10 digs of her own. Savannah Christian, Annie Ellis, and Hope Everett each collected six kills, with Ellis blocking a team-best six Panther attack attempts. Sarah Armendariz recorded 38 assists, and Jordyn Klein led the Cougars with 17 digs.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, MOREHEAD STATE 2
MOREHEAD, Ky. - With much still on the line in Monday's season finale, the Jacksonville State volleyball team did secure at least a share of the spring 2021 Ohio Valley Conference championship on Sunday night in a thrilling 3-2 win over Morehead State.
The Gamecocks (15-0 OVC) remain perfect for the season, and knock MSU (14-1 OVC) from that position handing the Eagles their first setback in the first of two championship-deciding matches this weekend. JSU repeats as league champs, going back to the fall of 2019 in pre-Covid competition. With a five-set win, the door remains open for the Eagles to win on Monday and split the regular-season crown which could still hand MSU the right to host the four-team conference tournament later in the week.
Having lost just four sets in their first 14 matches, Sunday marked the Gamecocks' first five-setter of the season, and it didn't disappoint. MSU led the match 1-0 and 2-1, including a 19-15 fourth-set lead, before the Gamecocks rallied to force a fifth frame. In the final stanza, Jax State started fast and never looked back on its way to a 15th-straight win.
Junior Lena Kindermann, an offensive leader all season, put her dominance on full display with a career-best 26 kills on 52 swings to go along with two blocks. Freshman Courtney Glotzbach shined equally as bright on the offensive side, tying a career-high with 17 kills as part of a trio of Gamecocks in double figures, which included senior Kaylie Milton's 12 putaways.
Overall, JSU out-hit MSU, .272 to .216 and registered more than double the blocks with an 11-5 edge in that category. Junior Katie Montgomery had a team-high five blocks, while Glotzbach and freshman Sadie Brown had a hand in four turnaways. Senior setter Lexie Libs, who dished a season-best 54 assists in the longest match of the year, also took part in three blocks.
The top marks weren't just on offense as sophomore libero Erin Carmichael recorded a career-best 28 digs. Libs upped 20 attacks in a great defensive showing, while freshman Tahya Pozorski registered eight. Kylee Quigley had five digs and scored one of JSU's only two aces for the night to clinch the second set.
The Gamecocks fell behind on the road early, with a 6-1 deficit, which evolved to 14-8 by the time head coach Todd Garvey was forced to take a timeout. JSU regrouped, but it wasn't enough to overcome the margin, falling 25-20 in the first. The second set opened 4-4, but a kill by Libs sparked a 5-0 JSU run that helped the Gamecocks lead 12-6 soon after. The Eagles consistently stayed within three or four points, before JSU took the final three points to cap a 25-18 set win.
In the pivotal third set, MSU led 15-9 midway through, and soon held a decisive 20-11 advantage. The gap would stay the same in a 25-17 Eagle victory. Looking to close out the match, MSU led 14-10 and later 19-15, pushing JSU to the brink of defeat. Glotzbach, Milton and Glotzbach again exchanged kills for JSU to quickly pull within a point. After an Eagle timeout, the momentum continued with a 5-0 stretch that propelled JSU to a 24-21 advantage before winning 25-22.
In the winner-take-all fifth frame, JSU forced three Eagle errors for a 3-0 start and ultimately led 8-3 at what would normally be the changeover point. Glotzbach added a trio of kills down the stretch as JSU grabbed a 15-8 win to claim the set, match, and piece of the title.
TENNESSEE STATE 3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Senior weekend is off to a phenomenal start thanks to a 3-1 victory over Eastern Kentucky Sunday night in Kean Hall 22-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-10.
Set one proved to be even-keeled until the Tigers went on a 10-2 run, to make it 17-12, just eight points away from a 1-0 advantage on the night. Instead, the Colonel offense forced down kill after kill ending set one on its own 11-3 run.
In the following set, TSU committed multiple ball handling errors forcing the Tigers to fight through a 6-1 deficit and tied it at eight. After a Colonel-called timeout, the Tigers continued its new-found momentum until it reached its first set win, 25-21.
After the break, Big Blue dominated the first half of set three going on a 7-1 run. Unable to recoup from the large deficit, the Tigers won set three 25-15 thanks to efficient hitting (.423 hitting percentage).
Looking for its first win since March 14, the Tigers allowed just 10 points in the final set for EKU. The Colonels had four kills, the Tigers 13. The Tigers had two aces, the Colonels zero. EKU's main defense for the final set was at the net, the Colonels notched three blocks. Tennessee State wrapped the night with a kill by Alondrah Santana Delgado, 25-10.
Senior Aniya Williams led the team in kills, blocks, hitting percentage, aces and points to kick off her final two games in Kean Hall.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, MURRAY STATE 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Talia Gouard registered a career best 14 kills as Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (13-2, 13-2 OVC) swept Murray State (5-10, 5-10 OVC), 25-19, 25-23, 25-16, Sunday evening at Houck Field House.
With the victory, SEMO extended its win streak to 13 matches. The 3-0 sweep was the Redhawks seventh in 2020-21.
Gouard, a sophomore from Houston, Texas, paced the SEMO attack with 14 kills on a .333 hitting clip with three blocks. She opened the match with seven kills on a .545 percentage in the first set.
Laney Malloy and Colby Greene each concluded the win with nine kills each.
Claire Ochs dished out 33 assists with 14 digs for the double-double outing.
Libero Ally Dion led the SEMO defense with 23 digs while Malloy chipped in 15. Addy McAleer and Kayla Closset each chipped in eight.
In the opening set, SEMO distanced itself from Murray State, 10-6, with a 4-0 run.
Another 4-0 SEMO rally pushed the edge to 14-8. Gouard connected on a kill to start the run before teaming up with Ochs for a block assist. The Racers also committed a pair of errors during the sequence.
Murray State responded with a 7-1 rally to knot the frame at 16-16. The set would be tied once more at 18-18 after a SEMO error before the Redhawks concluded the opening period on a 6-1 run.
Leading 15-14 in the second set, SEMO grew its margin to 19-14 after a McAleer ace capped a 4-0 run.
Jayla Holcombe knocked a kill to pull the Racers within 22-20. Ochs then elected for a winner over an assist to bring on set point at 24-21.
Morgan Price and Holcombe registered consecutive kills before Gouard sealed the second frame with a rally stopper, 25-23.
SEMO hit a match-high .256 in the third stanza Sunday.
With a 10-9 lead in hand in the third set, SEMO pulled away from the visiting Racers with a 6-0 run to take a 16-9 advantage and prompt a Murray State timeout.
Gouard and Zoey Beasley then each posted kills to grow the edge to 18-11.
The Racers came as close as 22-15 before Malloy finished the evening with three kills during the final four points of the match. Malloy blasted five of her nine kills Sunday in the final set.
SEMO outscored the Racers 54-32 in the match and led the kill and assist differential, 42-24, and, 40-21, respectively.
The Redhawks placed eight aces compared to Murray State's one. Malloy finished with three while McAleer and Closset tallied two each. Dion also connected on an ace Sunday.
Murray State outblocked SEMO, 7-4. Beasley tallied three and Maggie Adams notched one.
Holcombe led the Racers with eight kills. Kolby McClelland had six with 12 digs. Callie Anderton compiled 19 assists and 14 digs. Becca Fernandez posted 16 digs.
Zoey Beasley competed against her sister, Taylor Beasley, Sunday afternoon. Both sisters finished with two kills and five digs.
TENNESSEE TECH 3, BELMONT 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -Belmont volleyball fell to the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, 3-1, Sunday evening at the Eblen Center.
The Bruins (4-11 OVC) split the first two sets of the night, but the Golden Eagles (8-7 OVC) secured the home victory with wins in the final two sets.
Tennessee Tech jumped out to a quick 4-1 advantage to begin the first set, but a kill from junior Taylor Floyd helped tie the match at 10-10 minutes later. The Golden Eagles followed up with a 6-0 run to extend their lead. Tennessee Tech then went up 20-13, but consecutive points from Belmont cut its deficit to just five points. Still, the Golden Eagles held out to take a 25-20 first set victory.
The Bruins came out hot in the second set, as they logged four straight points to take an early lead. Tennessee Tech cut it back within two points, but a block from Sydney Willis kept the Belmont advantage to 10-6. The Bruins took a convincing 18-13 lead following a kill from sophomore Laura Shoopman. Another Shoopman kill gave Belmont the set win, 25-22, to even the score through two sets.
To open the third set, the Golden Eagles rode a 7-0 run, capped off by a kill from sophomore Madeline Furtado. The Bruins responded quickly, as a kill by Floyd put Belmont just four points from the lead. Tennessee Tech took a 10-point advantage by a score of 21-11 shortly after and went on to take the set win by a 25-15 margin.
The Golden Eagles boosted out to another run to start the fourth set, as they took a 9-0 lead. Tennessee Tech extended its advantage to double-figure, 13-3, following consecutive aces. The Bruins were held at bay, while the Golden Eagles finished the 3-1 victory with a 25-13 win in the fourth and final set.
Overall, Belmont was led by Shoopman and Floyd, who combined for a total of 21 kills on the evening. Willis fueled the Bruins defensively with four single blocks and a pair of block assists against Tennessee Tech.