MONDAY'S SCORES
Austin Peay 3, @UT Martin 0 (28-26, 25-22, 25-22)
@UT Martin 3, Austin Peay 2 (25-22, 26-28, 25-14, 19-25, 19-17)
@Morehead State 3, Jacksonville State 0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-21)
@Southeast Missouri 3, Murray State 0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-18)
@Tennessee State 3, Eastern Kentucky 1 (25-23, 25-16, 21-25, 25-23)
@SIUE 3, Eastern Illinois 0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-21)
@Tennessee Tech 3, Belmont 1 (24-26, 25-23, 25-15, 27-25)
AUSTIN PEAY 3, UT MARTIN 0; UT MARTIN 3, AUSTIN PEAY 2
MARTIN, Tenn. - A hard-fought final day of the regular-season saw Austin Peay State University's volleyball team split a pair of matches against UT Martin, Monday, at Skyhawk Arena.
Austin Peay won the day's first match in three sets (28-26, 25-22, 25-22) but UT Martin recovered to claim the nightcap in five sets (22-25, 28-26, 14-25, 25-19, 17-19). With the split, the Governors spring 2021 season concludes as they finish fifth in the regular season race and do not qualify for the four-team OVC Volleyball Championship.
Austin Peay (9-5 OVC), returning to action for the first time in nearly two weeks, got out to a slow start in the day's opening set. After 15 ties and five lead changes, the Govs got back-to-back kills from middle blocker Karli Graham and outside hitter Brooke Moore to clinch the frame.
The Governors won the second set in wire-to-wire fashion. UT Martin raced out to an early 4-1 lead in the third and fended off an Austin Peay charge to maintain an 18-15 lead late. Austin Peay charged back with a 4-1 run to tie the set at 19-19. One last tie at 20-20 was broken as part of a 4-0 run with outside hitter Tegan Seyring providing a pair of kills. Middle blocker Aysha Hood then provided a block to end the match.
The nightcap proved an even more nip-and-tuck affair with UT Martin (5-11) claiming the first and third sets. Austin Peay countered by winning Set 2 in overtime before winning the fourth set to force the tiebreaker.
That tiebreaker went back and forth with neither team enjoying more than a two-point lead until UTM's Jessica Reynolds' kill gave the Skyhawks an 8-5 lead at the first stoppage. The Skyhawks lead hit four points at 13-10 after a Govs attack error and UTM reached match point at 14-12.
Yet Austin Peay wasn't done battling and fended off a pair of match points as part of a 3-0 run to get to its own match point at 15-14. The Govs had match points at 16-15 and 17-16 but couldn't close the match. UTM would close the match with a 3-0 run with kills from Karen Scanlon and Logan Wallick before a walk-off service ace by Baillie Kearns.
Seyring led the Govs in the first match with 15 kills and a .583 attack percentage then added a 16-kill effort in the second match. Moore posted back-to-back double-doubles – a 14-kill, 13-dig effort in Match 1 and a 13-kill, 21-dig performance in Match 2. Outside hitter Chloe Stitt finished the season with 20 kills and 13 digs in the second match.
UTM's Karen Scanlon had the team's only double-digit kill effort in the opener with 12 kills. Her 18 kills in the night cap led an offensive effort that saw four Skyhawks post double-digit totals.
MOREHEAD STATE 3, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Competing for a share of an Ohio Valley Conference and the right to host the Ohio Valley Conference Volleyball Championship, Morehead State volleyball came out Monday brooms in tow and earned both an OVC co-Championship and the conference's No. 1 overall seed.
The Eagles took that match from Jacksonville State in straight sets by scores of 25-16, 25-23, and 25-21 to become the first team all season to defeat the Gamecocks. The Eagles also became the only team this season to force Jacksonville State to play from behind in consecutive matches while also being the first team to put the Gamecocks behind by two sets.
Morehead State stymied Jacksonville State's attack in the match, holding the Gamecocks to a .134 team hitting efficiency—Jacksonville State's lowest efficiency of the season. The Eagles also became the first team to hold the Gamecocks under .300 in both matches of a regular-season series.
Junior middle blocker Mia Swearingen led the Eagles' block, turning away a season-high-tying six attempts, leading Morehead State to 10 total blocks. The match marked Swearingen's third with six total blocks while marking the fifth such match for an Eagle this season.
Overall, six Eagles recorded a block on the afternoon with redshirt freshman middle blocker McKenzee Wagener and senior outside hitter Lauren Rokey adding four and three total blocks, respectively.
Behind the block, Morehead State's backline tallied 57 digs in the match led by junior libero Allison Whitten who scooped a game-high 18 balls. She was joined in double-figures by sophomore setter Bridget Bessler who added 11 digs with defensive specialists, redshirt junior Taylor Hodges and junior Olivia Montelisciani adding eight digs each.
Adding 41 assists, Bessler tallied her second-consecutive double-double and her fifth of the season. She orchestrated Morehead State's attack to the tune of .221 team hitting efficiency leading Swearingen and Wagener to a combined .457 hitting percentage as Wagener's .615 (9-1-13) efficiency marked a career-high (min. 10 attempts).
Senior outside hitter Olivia Lohmeier paced Morehead State with a match-best 15 kills with Swearingen chipping in a season-high-tying 10 terminations with the pair the lone players to reach double-figure kill totals in the match. Rokey and Wagener each added nine kills apiece for the Eagles.
In service, Morehead State landed three winners with Bessler, Hodges, and sophomore defensive specialist Andrea Grimes each tallying an ace.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, MURRAY STATE 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (14-2, 14-2 OVC) swept Murray State (5-11, 5-11 OVC), 25-22, 25-19, 25-18, Monday afternoon on Senior Day at Houck Field House.
With the victory, SEMO finalized its fate heading into the 2020-21 Ohio Valley Conference Championship Thursday and Friday in Morehead, Kentucky, on the campus of Morehead State. The #3-seeded Redhawks will take on #2 Jacksonville State (15-1, 15-1 OVC) Thursday in the first match of the semifinals at Johnson Arena at 2 p.m., CT.
Morehead State (15-1, 15-1 OVC) clinched the top seed Monday with a 3-0 sweep of Jacksonville State to claim a share of the 2020-21 OVC Regular Season Championship with the Gamecocks.
The Redhawk also extended its win streak to 14 matches with their eighth 3-0 sweep of the season (fourth consecutive) and seventh regular-season series sweep.
SEMO's 14 league wins in 2020-21 is the most in the past 13 seasons as the 2007 SEMO team finished with a mark of 15-5.
The Redhawks' OVC winning percentage of .875 is the highest since 2000, when SEMO was perfect in league play, 16-0 (1.000).
SEMO last finished an OVC slate with a record of 14-2 in 1995.
Zoey Beasley led the Redhawks attack Monday with 15 kills. Talia Gouard added nine kills and four block assists. Laney Malloy and Colby Greene each chipped in five rally stoppers.
Tied at 11-11 in the opening set, SEMO distanced itself from Murray State with a 4-1 run. Beasley slammed a kill to grow the lead to 17-14.
Consecutive kills from Gouard and Malloy before a Racers attack error widened the gap to 21-16.
Addy McAleer then pounded a kill and Murray State committed an attacking error to make the score, 23-18.
Greene added a rally stopper to bring on set point at 24-20. Murray State came as close as 24-22 before Beasley sealed the opening frame with a kill.
The Redhawks then commenced the second stanza with a slight 11-8 edge early before a 5-1 run pushed the advantage to 16-9. SEMO hit a match-high .214 in the middle frame Monday.
Malloy connected on a kill before teaming up for a senior block assist with Maggie Adams to make the SEMO lead 19-13.
Murray State cut the SEMO margin to 20-16 after consecutive Redhawk errors.
Beasley and Claire Ochs then finalized the set with consecutive kills, 25-19.
In the final set, Murray State started the frame with a 4-0 lead that SEMO responded back with a 5-0 run.
Leading by a point, 14-13, the Redhawks pulled away from the visiting Racers with a 5-0 rally. Gouard hit consecutive kills during the sequence and Ally Dion finished the run with a service ace.
A kill by Morgan Price followed by a Kolby McClelland service ace cut the SEMO advantage to 19-16.
The Redhawks then hit set point after a 5-0 run. McAleer placed consecutive aces in the rally before a block assist from Gouard and Ochs followed by a kill by Beasley.
Beasley then sealed the victory, 25-18, with a rally stopper.
Dion led three Redhawks with double-digit digs Monday, posting a match-high 21. Malloy added 18 and McAleer finished with 10.
Ochs ran the offense, dishing out 33 assists and eight digs.
SEMO outscored Murray State, 53-36, and also led the kills (39-24) and assists (37-23) differential.
The Racers finished with a dismal .008 hitting percentage and started the match with a -.024 in the first set and a .000 in the third set.
The Redhawks notched seven aces compared to the Racers four. Malloy led SEMO with a season-high three aces for the second-straight match. McAleer posted two and both Dion and Ochs had one each.
Murray State out blocked SEMO, 8-7. Gouard led SEMO with four while Malloy, Ochs and Adams each tallied two.
SEMO recognized senior Maggie Adams prior to Monday's regular-season finale for Senior Day. Adams finished with two kills, two blocks and three digs. The senior from Fenton, Missouri, now has 302 career blocks.
McClelland led the Racers with eight kills. Taylor Beasley, Zoey's sister, had a match-high five blocks. Callie Anderton registered 16 assists and Becca Fernandez finished with 18 digs.
TENNESSEE STATE 3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Eastern Kentucky University volleyball team fell to Tennessee State, 3-1, on Monday night in Nashville.
The Tigers won by scores of 25-22, 25-16, 21-25 and 25-23.
The two teams traded points much of the opening set, but Tennessee State took a 15-12 lead into the media timeout after a Kendall Bullock kill. The Colonels answered back, and the two teams were tied at, 20-20, 21-21, and 22-22. However, the Tigers closed the set on a 3-1 run after a Kariely Santana-Delgado kill to take the opening set 25-23.
Tennessee State (4-12) rushed out to a 9-3 advantage in set two after an Aria Holmes kill and never looked back. The Colonels cut the TSU lead to three, 13-10, after a Tennessee State attack error but could never get any closer. Bullock finished off the second set for the Tigers with a kill to take a 2-0 lead.
Eastern Kentucky (2-14) came out firing on all cylinders in the third set jumping out to a 5-1 advantage after a Tennessee State attack error. The Tigers kept chipping away at the Colonel lead and cut the lead to one, 17-16, after a Mion Weldon kill. A Tennessee State attack error ended the third set and the Colonels took the third set 25-21.
The Colonels led the entire fourth set and took a 21-18 advantage after a Tennessee State attack error. The Tigers closed the set on a 7-2 run after a Santana-Delgado kill to take the set and the match.
Molly Michalak led the way offensively for the Colonels with 17 kills and 10 digs. Michalak hit .204 on the contest. Jovana Bulatovic chipped in 15 kills on a .333 hitting percentage.
SIUE 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE volleyball needed some results to go their way on Monday night to secure their place in the postseason - they got just what they needed, and the Cougars have locked up the No. 4 seed in the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Volleyball Tournament.
But before anything, the Cougars had to take care of business and secure a victory at home against in-state rival Eastern Illinois. The Red & White did just that, sweeping the Panthers in convincing fashion. SIUE won the first and second sets by a score of 25-16, before taking the decisive third set, 25-21. Sydney Hummert led all players with 11 kills and 13 digs, Annie Ellis notched nine kills to hit for an outstanding .421 clip, and Rachel McDonald registered eight kills and 12 digs. Savannah Christian and Hope Everett recorded six and five kills, respectively. Sarah Armendariz once again proved how effective she is from the setter position, assisting on 33 Cougar kills. Jordyn Klein and Grace Hurst led the SIUE defensive effort, collecting 29 digs between the two of them.
TENNESSEE TECH 3, BELMONT 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont volleyball dropped to the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, 3-1, in its season finale Monday night at the Eblen Center.
Despite notching a first-set victory over the Golden Eagles (9-7), the Bruins (4-12) fell in the final three sets of the road matchup.
Freshman Ally Peterson and junior Taylor Floyd led Belmont with a combined 26 kills in the loss, while Peterson tabbed a .609 kill percentage. Overall, the Bruins finished with 51 kills, while Halee Van Poppel and Peterson each hit over .400. Freshman Sydney Willis added a team-high five blocks.
Following a kill from Floyd, the Bruins jumped out to a 5-3 lead in the early point of the first set. However, Tennessee Tech would go on to take a 16-13 advantage shortly after, as Belmont slowly made its charge back. An attack error knotted the set up at 19-19, as the Bruins outdueled the Golden Eagles to win the first set by a 26-24 margin.
After trading points to start the second set, Tennessee Tech went up 10-6 in the early going. The Golden Eagles led by as many as seven points, but Belmont battled back to cut the deficit to just two points down the stretch. Despite the comeback, Tennessee Tech edged out the Bruins in the second set, 25-23.
Belmont got off to a slow start in the third set, while the Golden Eagles double their lead by a score of 18-9. The Bruins fought back within striking distance, but Tennessee Tech came away with a 25-15 victory going into the fourth and final set.
To start the fourth set, the Bruins took a 5-1 advantage, as they held a convincing lead until the Golden Eagles knotted it up at 15-all. A kill from Van Poppel helped Belmont to a late 25-24 lead, but Tennessee Tech still finished with a 27-25 set victory to log the 3-1 win.