SATURDAY'S SCORES
Pepperdine 3,
Morehead State 0 (25-19, 25-21, 26-24)
Morehead State 3, Winthrop 1 (26-24, 25-14, 22-25, 25-18)
@Marshall 3,
Austin Peay 1 (25-19, 30-28, 20-25, 25-16)
Missouri State 3,
UT Martin 0 (25-18, 25-13, 25-18)
Tennessee Tech 3, Jackson State 1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-19, 25-21)
Eastern Illinois 3, Bellarmine 2 (18-25, 26-24, 20-25, 25-16, 15-7)
Eastern Illinois 3, Chicago State 0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-18)
@Mercer 3,
Murray State 2 (25-22, 17-25, 27-25, 19-25, 15-12)
Southeast Missouri 3, Bradley 1 (25-18, 25-17, 24-26, 25-14)
Southeast Missouri 3, Central Michigan 0 (26-24, 25-22, 25-22)
Kent State 3,
SIUE 1 (25-21, 20-25, 25-18, 25-15)
MARSHALL 3, AUSTIN PEAY 1
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Outside hitter Brooke Moore notched her third straight double-double to open the season, but Austin Peay State University’s volleyball team dropped a four-set decision (19-25, 28-30, 25-20, 16-25) to host Marshall, Saturday, to conclude its weekend at the Cam Henderson Center.
Both team’s defense were slow to start, with both offenses posting better than a .300 attack percentage in the opening frame, which Marshall won wire-to-wire. But from there the story was all defense with Marshall scoring five blocks in the second set and four in the fourth to win those frames while Austin Peay used an impressive six-block third set to claim its only win of the match.
Moore nearly had her second 20-kill performance of the season but settled for her third double-double with 17 kills and 13 digs while adding three blocks. Middle blocker Maggie Keenan led the Govs 10-block outing with five blocks.
Ciara DeBell led Marshall with 15 kills and 13 digs, pacing an offense that recorded 52 kills at a .209 attack pace. Lydia Montague had six blocks in the Thundering Herd’s 13-block outing.
Austin Peay continues it’s four-week road trip next Friday-Saturday for the Harvard Invitational in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The early morning start appeared to catch both defenses off guard. But Marshall used a breakdown in the Govs passing to score two service aces en route to a 5-0 lead that set the tone in a wire-to-wire 25-19 victory. Aside from the rough start, Austin Peay matched the Thundering Herd, posting 12 kills and a .379 attack percentage versus the hosts 13 kills and .321 attack percentage.
The defenses woke up in the second set, with neither team hitting above .200 for the frame. That led to 11 ties and three lead changes in the set. Marshall led by five points at 18-13 but the Govs rallied to tie the set at 18-18 and it was nip-and-tuck from there. Austin Peay rallied to take a 23-22 lead but a well-timed Marshall timeout kept it from getting to set point. Instead Marshall got to set point with back-to-back Ciara DeBell kills, only to watch the Govs fend off five set point chances. But back-to-back APSU errors gave Marshall the 30-28 victory.
Marshall attempted to repeat its Set 1 victory in the third frame, racing out to a 4-0 lead. But the Govs reeled the set back and used an 8-2 run to claim a 10-8 lead. Austin Peay nursed that lead all the way to 20-19 before closing with a 5-1 run – including two blocks by the combination of Maggie Keenan and Tegan Seyring – to force a fourth set.
Marshall dominated the fourth set, easing out to an 11-9 lead before taking control with a 6-0 run that saw the Govs commit five attack errors with three forced by Marshall blocks. The Thundering Herd’s sixth block of the frame secured the 25-16 set victory.
TENNESSEE TECH 3, JACKSON STATE 1
AUBURN, Ala. – It was an all-around team effort on the hardwood Saturday morning for the Tennessee Tech volleyball team, as the Golden Eagles (1-1) took down the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Jackson State Tigers (0-1) in the team's final match of the War Eagle Invitational, 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-19, 25-21).
The win marked the first of the 2021 campaign for the purple and gold, which claimed the final three sets of its late-morning tilt with JSU at Auburn Arena. As a team, the Golden Eagles hit a solid .210 with 51 kills and eight total blocks. Tech limited a Tiger unit that finished 11-1 in the 2020-21 season – with the lone loss to Western Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament – to a .165 attack clip and 40 kills.
The two sides waged war in the opening set, with the Golden Eagles fighting back from a four-point deficit at 12-8. Jackson State answered, knotting things at 14-14 before Tech responded in kind with a 3-0 run. The Tigers flipped the script, however, running off six straight points to retake the lead and then finish off set one with a 5-3 run to win 25-20.
It was all Tennessee Tech from that moment on. After hitting just .057 in the first set, the Cookeville crew regrouped and turned in a fierce onslaught that resulted in 13 kills. After falling behind very early, 5-3, the purple and gold rolled off eight consecutive points for an 11-5 lead. The remainder of the set saw JSU attempt to chip away at the advantage, but it proved futile as the Golden Eagles tied things up at 1-1 with a 25-20 win.
Tech turned things up a notch in the third set, hitting a robust .355 with 13 more kills and just two attack errors. The burst of energy saw the Golden Eagles open up as much as a nine-point lead at 23-14. The Tigers mounted a rally attempt, but it was too little too late with the purple and gold clamping down a 25-19 victory and 2-1 lead in the match.
In the decisive fourth set, a 3-1 Jackson State edge quickly flipped to the Golden Eagle side, with Tech rattling off six straight at one point for a 12-6 lead. The two sides battled back-and-forth the rest of the way, but Tech never let the defending SWAC champs back in the match, closing the door for a 25-21 set win and 3-1 victory in the match.
Veteran setter Ashley Hand quarterbacked the offense all day, dishing out 39 assists. The senior also slipped in five kills on a .333 attack percentage and posted three block assists as part of a very well-rounded day.
The positivity rang true, especially up front for the Golden Eagle middle blockers. Preseason All-OVC selection Taylor Dorsey was a solid presence, collecting nine kills and four block assists. Sophomore Dallas Oatis was a big addition to the rotation in the final three sets, chipping in five kills and three total blocks. Fellow sophomore Skylar Boom slid over to the right side after the opening set and turned up the heat with 10 kills and a career-high .556 hitting percentage. She also added a pair of blocks.
Returning freshman McKenna Young broke out for a huge match defensively, piling up a four-set, career-high 25 digs to help pilot the strong Tech offensive unit. The libero also turned in a pair of service aces.
For the second time in as many days, returning freshman Madolyn Isringhausen led the match in kills, registering 14 while chipping in a pair of blocks and four digs. True freshman Payton Lombardi was again effective for the purple and gold, producing a match-high three service aces and tacking on eight digs.
Fellow rookie Emma Pabon made her collegiate debut in the match, coming on in the fourth set for her first taste of action in the 2021 campaign, posting three attack attempts.
Both Hand and Isringhausen were named to the War Eagle Invitational All-Tournament Team for their efforts over the weekend, a first for both student-athletes.
Tech returns to Cookeville to host the Golden Eagle Invitational next weekend, beginning Friday, Sept. 3 with a 10:30 a.m. CT match against South Alabama. The purple and gold will also play in the fourth match of the day, squaring off with Valparaiso at 7:30 p.m. The tournament will wrap up on Saturday, Sept. 4 with the Golden Eagles' 2:00 p.m. tilt against UNC Asheville.
KENT STATE 3, SIUE 1
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - SIUE volleyball dropped its final match in the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational on Saturday afternoon, falling to Kent State, 3-1 (21-25, 25-20, 18-25, 15-25) and closing out their first non-conference tournament with a 1-2 record.
The first set saw the Cougars and Golden Flashes trade blows through the early moments, before SIUE caught the momentum and led by four at the 15th-point media timeout. However, the momentum would swing back to Kent State, who would put together a 9-4 scoring run to put the pressure on the Red & White. Despite the Cougars' best efforts, their comeback attempt proved too late, as Kent State would claim the opening set, 25-21.
The second set would see the Cougars start off strong and maintain the momentum throughout. A 4-3 advantage for Kent State would be the last time the opponents would hold a lead for the remainder of the set. SIUE would hit an impressive .257 as a team, but it would again be the Cougar defense that proved to be the decisive factor. SIUE recorded six team blocks in the set and held the Golden Flashes to a hitting percentage of just .100. The Cougars would also put together a match-high sideout percentage of 75%, while holding Kent State to a sideout percentage of just 60%. SIUE would win the second set, 25-20.
The third and fourth sets each saw SIUE's five-set marathon victory on Friday night catch up of them. The Golden Flashes, who played just once on Friday in a 3-0 loss to Evansville, used the Cougars' exhaustion to pull ahead and claim back-to-back set wins to claim the 3-1 match victory.
MISSOURI STATE 3, UT MARTIN 0
JONESBORO, Ark. – The University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball squad ran into a hot Missouri State squad today, falling by a 3-0 margin (18-25, 13-25, 18-25) to round out its participation in the season-opening A-State Invitational.
Following the event, senior Karen Scanlon was named to the seven-member all-tournament squad. The Scottsdale, Ariz. native racked up a team-best 23 kills (2.30 per set), a team-high .203 attack percentage and 19 digs (1.90 per set) in three matches over the weekend. It marked the second all-tournament honor in her career (also winning such accolades at the Skyhawk Invitational on Sept. 20-21, 2019).
Facing a tough Bears squad finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference last season, UT Martin could only manage an .042 attack percentage as a team today. Scanlon, Jessica Reynolds and Francela Ulate each had four kills while Addy Vaughn (12 assists) and Haeleigh Paulino (11 assists) split reps at the setter position.
Baillie Kearns topped the Skyhawks in digs for the second consecutive match, snagging a career-best 21 scoops (eclipsing her previous high of 16 at Murray State on Feb. 28, 2021). Addison Conley topped UT Martin with three blocks (two solo) at the net.
Missouri State scored the first five points of the match but the Skyhawks answered right back with a 6-0 run, capped off by a Ulate service ace. Soon thereafter, the Bears recorded six straight points before back-to-back kills from Olivia Saunders and Ulate provided UT Martin with temporary momentum. A service ace from Paulino willed the Skyhawks within a single point at 19-18 but Missouri State accounted for the final six points of the stanza. Kearns made plays all over the court in the first set, posting nine of the team’s 18 digs.
Reynolds got UT Martin on the scoreboard in the second set with two straight kills but the Bears never trailed in the stanza. A kill from Saunders closed the Skyhawk gap to 7-5 but Missouri State responded with an 8-2 run. Zoe Merriweather put an end to the Bears’ run with a kill but it wasn’t enough as Missouri State scored 10 of the last 15 points. Reynolds (three kills) and Kearns (seven digs) paced UT Martin in the second set.
The third stanza featured seven tie scores and four lead changes. A service ace by Kayla Carrell gave the Skyhawks their first lead of the set at 3-2 as neither side would lead by more than two points until 16-13. Audrey Haworth gave UT Martin a boost with back-to-back kills as part of her season debut, tilting the score back in favor of the Skyhawks at 7-6. Kambree Lucas was responsible for a pair of kills in the span of three points while another Merriweather kill evened the score at 12-all. The Bears went ahead by a 20-14 margin but Haworth came right back with back-to-back points (kill, service ace). However, Missouri State managed to end the match on a 5-2 run. Scanlon compiled a team-high four kills (against just one error) to lead UT Martin in the final set.
The Skyhawks will take part in their second of four nonconference tournaments next weekend when they travel to Carbondale, Ill. for the Saluki Bash. UT Martin will clash against Oral Roberts (10 a.m.) and Southern Illinois (7 p.m.) on Friday, Sept. 3 before taking on Alabama A&M at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4.
PEPPERDINE 3, MOREHEAD STATE 0; MOREHEAD STATE 3, WINTHROP 1
ATHENS, Ga. - Highlighted by the first 30-dig match for an Eagle since 2014 and another Eagle setting a rally-scoring era career record, the Morehead State volleyball team concluded the Classic City Clash with a split of matches Saturday against No. 22 Pepperdine (L, 3-0) while winning its first match of 2021 by defeating Winthrop 3-1.
Graduate student Olivia Lohmeier set the MSU rally-era scoring record for career kills with 1,549 now, passing former OVC Player of the Year Ellie Roberson's 1,521. Junior libero Allison Whitten dug 31 attempts versus Winthrop.
Lohmeier is now seventh in career kills at Morehead State for all eras.
The Eagles moved to 1-2 heading into next weekend's Eagle Challenge home tournament where the Eagles entertain Radford, Cleveland State and Evansville.
Morehead State 3, Winthrop 1
Lohmeier bounced back from being held to below 10 kills for the first time in two seasons by slamming home a match-high 22 kills, while sophomore outside hitter Abby Hulsman exhibited 13 kills. It marked Lohmeier's 12th career match with 20+ successful spikes.
The battle of the Eagles was a tight one as the MSU Eagles edged the other Eagles 26-24 in the opening set and then pulled away for a 25-14 triumph in the second. Winthrop stormed back for a 25-23 win in the third, but MSU persevered for a 25-18 win to seal the victory.
The match was also highlighted by a career-high 31 digs from Whitten, while sophomore setter Bridget Bessler had her first double-double of the season with 42 assists and 15 digs. Whitten's impressive defending was the first 30-dig match for an Eagle since Hope Rillema's 31 versus Tennessee State on Sept. 26, 2014.
Bessler came within one of her career-high in digs, while the 90 scoops by MSU was the most since digging 98 attempts versus ironically Winthrop in the 2019 season opener.
MSU also turned back nine Winthrop attempts via blocks, led by five from redshirt freshman McKenzee Wagener. Freshman Irene Wogenstahl swatted back four blocks and had a career-high nine digs.
No. 22 Pepperdine 3, Morehead State 0
Hulsman pounded down a match-high 14 kills, and the Eagles held the top-25 ranked Waves to less than a .200 attack efficiency. The Eagles also held a nine-point lead in the third set on three occasions, and owned a 24-21 edge in the finale, but could not turn back the tsunami of Pepperdine in the end. The Waves scored the final five points in that third frame to seal their win.
Hulsman's kill total was the second-highest single-match production in her three-year career, trailing the 17 she had in the NCAA Tournament this past spring.
Lohmeier was held to eight kills, halting her streak of 32 consecutive matches with double-digit kills that dated back to the 2019 season.
Whitten added 11 digs, while Wagener turned back five total blocks as the Eagles out-blocked Pepperdine 8-6.
Meg Brown and Rachel Ahrens led the Waves with 11 kills apiece as PU had 1 more terminations than MSU's 31.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, BRADLEY 1; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 0
PEORIA, Ill. – Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (3-0) captured Bradley's 2021 CEFCU Invitational Championship with a pair of victories over tournament host, Bradley (0-2), and Central Michigan (1-2) Saturday afternoon at the Renaissance Coliseum. SEMO beat Bradley in four sets (25-18, 25-17, 26-24, 25-14) before sweeping CMU, 26-24, 25-22, 25-22, to conclude the two-day Invitational.
Saturday's tournament championship is SEMO's first since the 2019 Beale Street Challenge held at Memphis Sept. 20-21.
The Redhawks beat DePaul in four sets to open the CEFCU Invitational on Friday in SEMO's first victory over a BIG EAST institution since 2012 (South Florida, 9/7).
Laney Malloy, Claire Ochs and Tara Beilsmith were named to the 2021 CEFCU Invitational All-Tournament Team. Malloy was named the tournament MVP.
For Malloy, it was her fifth career all-tournament team and first MVP honor. Ochs was also named to her fifth career all-tournament team while it was Beilsmith's second laurel in her career at SEMO.
Malloy led the SEMO offense with 42 kills, 33 digs, 12 blocks and seven assists. Ochs dished out 123 assists with 46 digs, 12 kills, three blocks and two aces. Beilsmith compiled 84 digs with five assists and two aces. Ochs (3) and Malloy (2) combined for five double-doubles.
SEMO 3, Bradley 1
SEMO opened Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 (25-18, 25-17, 26-24, 25-14) victory over CEFCU Invitational tournament host, Bradley.
Malloy led the Redhawks with 15 kills, seven digs, four blocks, three aces and two assists. Talia Gouard chipped in 13 kills with a career-best eight total blocks on a .500 hitting percentage.
SEMO out blocked Bradley, 17-7, as six Redhawks tallied a block.
A day after notching 48 assists, setter Ochs posted 44 in Saturday's afternoon opener. She also tallied a double-double with 12 digs, three kills and two assists.
The Redhawks opened the match with an early 5-1 lead that evaporated with five-straight points by the Braves.
Kills from Zoey Beasley who registered her first double-double on Friday along with a service ace from Gouard provided the Redhawks a 13-8 lead.
Bradley then cut the SEMO edge to one, 13-12, after a timeout. A solo block from Malloy pushed the advantage back to 18-15.
SEMO closed the set on a 7-2 run to take set #1, 25-18. Gouard had five kills in the opening set as the Redhawks tallied five blocks as a team.
SEMO hit a match-high .290 in the second set to extend its advantage to 2-0 after a 25-17 stanza.
The Redhawks commenced the frame with a 7-4 lead that grew to 13-8 after a kill from Malloy.
Gouard teamed up with Colby Greene for a block assist before slamming a kill to send the Redhawks to a media timeout with a 15-9 edge.
Elissa Moylan then joined Ochs for a block assist to make the score 18-13.
Moylan finished the match with five kills and five blocks in her second-straight start.
It was all SEMO down the stretch. Abby Johnson cut the SEMO lead to 19-16 with a kill before a 6-1 Redhawks rally concluded the frame.
Greene and Ochs connected with consecutive kills to secure the second set, 25-17.
Greene finished with eight kills, six digs and four blocks.
Bradley responded with a 26-24 third frame to force a fourth set. The Braves posted a .234 hitting clip in the set.
The Braves utilized a 4-0 run to pull ahead 10-7 and went into the media timeout with a 15-14 edge.
A 4-1 rally from the Redhawks evened the set at 19-19. Malloy had a pair of kills during the run along with a block assist with Gouard.
Malloy then placed a service ace for a 21-20 SEMO advantage before four-straight points by the Braves brought on set point.
SEMO fended off set point with consecutive kills by Beasley along with a solo block by the Paragould, Arkansas, junior.
Beasley concluded the Bradley tilt with nine kills, four blocks and 12 digs.
Bradley then claimed the set with a kill by Hannah Thompson followed by a Redhawks attack error, 26-24.
SEMO responded from the setback with a dominating 25-14 fourth set.
The Redhawks jumped out to a 7-2 lead after a 4-0 run. Malloy had two kills and a block during the sequence while Gouard added a block.
The advantage grew to 17-9 after back-to-back kills from Beasley and Greene.
Thompson and Karagan Coggin both added kills for Bradley to cut the deficit to six (19-13) before the Redhawks concluded the match on a 6-1 rally.
Beilsmith paced the defense with 21 digs, two assists and an ace. Ally Dion added 16 digs. Kayla Closset chipped in eight.
SEMO outscored the Braves, 76-56, and led the aces category, 6-1.
Coggin and Thompson paced Bradley with 12 kills. Carlee Camlin dished out 28 assists. Serena Sparks posted a team-best 17 digs.
SEMO 3, Central Michigan 0
SEMO registered its first sweep (26-24, 25-22, 25-22) of the 2021 season in the late afternoon set against Central Michigan.
Malloy led the offense with 17 kills with 10 digs while Beasley added 11 kills. Ochs also finished with a double-double of 31 assists and 14 digs.
Trailing 4-1 in the opening set, SEMO knotted the score at 5-5 before the Chippewas pulled ahead 15-9.
The Redhawks continued to chip away at the deficit and came within two points (20-18) after a kill from Beasley. Beasley tallied five kills on a .500 clip in the first set.
Consecutive kills from Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez and Savannah Thompson coupled with a service ace by Lacey Juengel regrew the CMU lead to 23-18.
SEMO responded with a 4-0 run to cut the advantage to 23-22. Greene knocked a kill before consecutive aces by Ochs.
A Redhawks error brought on set point at 24-22 that the Redhawks fended off with four straight points to claim the set. Beasley opened the sequence with a rally stopper before a block assist from Malloy and Moylan.
The Chips committed back-to-back errors to provide SEMO the opening set win, 26-24.
SEMO once again had to play catch-up in the second set, falling behind 16-10 before mounting a comeback.
After a Redhawks timeout, SEMO cut the advantage to two (16-14) after a 4-0 rally.
Trailing 17-14, the Redhawks took control of the set and pulled ahead, 19-17, with a 5-0 run. Malloy hit three consecutive kills during the rally and finished the frame with nine.
Gouard added a rally stopper to make the score reflect 23-19 before a Chips service error made it set point at 24-20.
Beasley blasted a kill after consecutive kills by CMU to claim the set, 25-22.
The third stanza was highly contested with 12 ties and five lead changes. SEMO hit a match-high .200 during the set.
The Redhawks and CMU exchanged points with tie score lines of 12-12, 13-13, 14-14 and 15-15.
A 4-0 rally by SEMO distanced themselves from the Chippewas, 18-15.
Moylan and Greene combined for a block assist for a 20-17 advantage.
Malloy then chipped in a kill followed by a block with Gouard to push the lead to 22-19.
Gouard added a kill after a CMU error to bring on match point at 24-20.
Malloy then hit her fifth kill of the set to claim SEMO's first sweep of the 2021 campaign, 25-22.
Ochs passed out 31 assists in the match with 14 digs and two aces.
Moylan paced the Redhawks with six blocks and averaged just over five in her three matches at the CEFCU Invitational.
Beilsmith notched 34 digs with two assists. Dion added seven digs with an assist and Closset posted five digs.
Thompson led CMU with 12 kills and 13 digs followed by Linnea Willer (8 kills). Grace Butler had 19 assists and Kamryn Olson finished with 13. Aly Gurtiza accumulated 21 digs.
CMU led the aces category, 5-2. SEMO out blocked the Chippewas, 10-6.
After the CEFCU Invitational, the Redhawks will travel to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to compete in Western Michigan's Discover Kalamazoo Classic, Sept. 3-4. SEMO will take on WMU, Purdue Fort Wayne and Indiana at the tournament. The Redhawks open the Classic against host, Western Michigan, Sept. 3 at 11 a.m. at the University Arena.
MERCER 3, MURRAY STATE 2
MACON, Ga. - They wanted a sweep, but the Murray State volleyball team is certainly happy to come home from the Mercer Bear Classic with two wins in three games over the weekend at Hawkins Arena in Macon, Georgia.
After taking 3-1 wins over New Hampshire and Stetson on Friday, the Racers played a five-set thriller with the home team before falling 15-12 in the final set on Saturday afternoon.
The final line score showed the teams traded progress in the first four sets with the Racers winning the second and fourth stanzas by scores of 25-17 and 25-19. The Bears won sets one and three by scores of 25-22 and 27-25. The Racers had match point leading 24-23 in the fourth set, but lost four of the next five points, which forced the deciding fifth set.
The Racers hit 24 percent on 69-of-174 for the game, while the Bears were 59-of 162 for 30 percent.
Brooke Watts led the Racers with a game-high 23 kills, as she hit 27 percent on 23-of-59 attacks. Jayla Holcombe added 17 kills on 31 chances for 39 percent. Becca Fernandez had 19 digs and the Racers got 12 from Bailey DeMeir.
The Racers (2-1) travel north next week to compete in the Billiken Invitational in St. Louis, Missouri. MSU faces Pine Bluff Friday at 3 p.m. Saturday's schedule has MSU taking on Arkansas State at 10 a.m. and the host team, Saint Louis at 7 p.m.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, BELLARMINE 2; EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, CHICAGO STATE 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois volleyball wins their second match of the Panther Inivtational beating Bellarmine in five sets Saturday afternoon. EIU won in 5 (18-25, 26-24, 20-25, 25-16,15-7).
The Panthers were led by Takenya Stafford with 14 kills and 13 digs, and Danielle Allen with 17 kills. EIU never trailed in the final set.
Bellarmine started the fifth set with 3 errors, which led to an EIU Panther run. BU was led by Jayme Scott and Seville Gates with 15 kills each.
Full game recap will be posted later at the conclusion of the tournament. EIU plays the final game of the Invitation at 7 p.m. against Chicago State.