FRIDAY'S SCORES
@UT Martin 3, Morehead State 0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-19)
Tennessee State 3, @Southern Indiana 1 (25-16, 25-27, 25-10, 25-14)
Lindenwood 3, @Little Rock 1 (25-17, 25-16, 19-25, 25-18)
@Southeast Missouri 3, SIUE 1 (25-27, 25-22, 25-20, 25-23)
Tennessee Tech 3, @Eastern Illinois 1 (25-14, 20-25, 25-21, 28-26)
UT MARTIN 3, MOREHEAD STATE 0
MARTIN, Tenn. - It was a special Senior Day at Skyhawk Fieldhouse this afternoon as Logan Wallick earned her 1,000th career kill to help the University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball squad to its fifth straight sweep, 3-0 over Morehead State (25-17, 25-19, 25-19).
Approximately 90 minutes after she was honored alongside Karen Scanlon, Haeleigh Paulino and Audrey Haworth for a Senior Day ceremony, Wallick put on a dazzling display. The graduate outside hitter out of Waddell, Ariz. amassed 17 kills with zero errors for a .531 hitting percentage. She also provided a team-high three blocks at the net.
The Skyhawks (20-9, 14-2 Ohio Valley Conference) eclipsed the 20-win mark for the first time since 2002 behind a season-high .364 attack percentage. The fifth consecutive sweep equals the school record (set from Nov. 2-16, 2001) while UT Martin’s seven-match winning streak is the program’s longest since the Skyhawks won eight in a row from Sept. 1-16, 2006.
UT Martin’s setter duo performed well as Addy Vaughn had 19 assists, four kills on a .571 hitting percentage and a pair of blocks while Paulino collected 16 assists, five digs and two service aces. Dylan Mott fortified the Skyhawk defense with 18 digs while Angel Baylark hit .429 with seven kills and a pair of blocks.
The lead did not change hands a single time in the opening set as UT Martin scored three of the first four points. Baylark had a pair of kills during an 8-3 run before Mia Saenz accounted for back-to-back points with a kill and service ace. Haworth soon got into the action as the Fishers, Ind. native slammed down back-to-back kills. The Eagles closed to within one point at 17-16 but the Skyhawks ended the set on an 8-1 run, completed with a Paulino service ace. Wallick and Haworth shared the team lead with three kills apiece while Mott scooped up a remarkable nine digs in the first stanza alone.
The second set featured 10 tie scores and four lead changes. Scanlon and Haworth each provided two kills apiece early on as UT Martin snared a 9-6 advantage. Morehead State responded with a 6-1 run to briefly go on top but the Skyhawks answered with 10 of the next 14 points. Shortly after checking in for the first time in the match, Kambree Lucas delivered a spark as the sophomore from Brazil, Ind. skied high for three kills in the span of six points during the run. Like the first set, Paulino clinched the win with a service ace to give UT Martin a 2-0 advantage in the match. Wallick had six kills for a potent Skyhawk offense that hit .459 (18 kills against only one error) in 37 swings.
It was Wallick’s time to shine in the third set as she secured eight kills in the final set on the chase to 1,000. The duo of Scanlon and Baylark joined forces for four straight kills during the initial stages of the set before giving way to the blazing hand of Wallick. After the score was tied at 8-all, Wallick managed three kills over a four-point stretch. But she was just getting started. As UT Martin faced a 16-15 deficit, Wallick went off for four kills in the span of six points – achieving her milestone with the score at 22-17 in favor of the Skyhawks. Fittingly, the three remaining seniors had a hand in the last three points as Scanlon posted a kill and Haworth crushed a kill off a feed from Paulino for match point.
TENNESSEE STATE 3, SOUTHERN INDIANA 1
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - -Gabrielle Johnson recorded 14 kills with an .824 hitting percentage to help carry the Tennessee State volleyball team to a 3-1 win (25-16, 25-27, 25-10, 25-14) against the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles Friday on the road at Screaming Eagles Arena. The win improved Tennessee State's record to 13-15 overall and 7-8 in OVC play.
The Tigers attack was paced by OVC Offensive and Newcomer of the Week Johanna Alcantara, who finished with 16 kills on the day, and by Johnson's 14. Sofia Garcia-Guerrios had 22 assists and Login Williams had 18 plus four service aces. Defensively, had three players reach double figures in digs, including Gina Rivera-Ortiz's 21, 12 from Carla Boudal, and 10 more from Garcia-Guerrios giving her a double-double. From the front row, Davis contributed her season high 11 blocks and Aleksandra Rojecka added five rejections. Davis just missed a double-double recording nine kills hitting at a .600 percentage. TSU's servers had a big day with 12 service aces on the night.
The victory is the fourth in the last five games for the Tigers. One of the keys to the win was a 34-8 advantage by the Tigers to close out the third set and open the fourth.
SET 1 | The Tigers took control on the first point and never trailed to win the first set 25-16. Tennessee State led by as many as nine points at 24-15 before finishing off the set, collecting 16 kills in the process. Tennessee State also supplemented their offense with four aces in the opening set. The Tigers swung at blistering pace finishing the set at .462.
SET 2 | TSU lost the second set 27-25 to even the match 1-1. The Tigers fell in a tight second set, losing in a stanza that was tied 10 times and had five lead changes. Gabrielle Johnson's six kills kept the Tigers in the set.
SET 3 | The Tigers grabbed control of the set early when the score was 4-4, they went on a 12-1 run to take a 16-5 lead and never looked back to win 25-10. TSU led by 15 points at 22-7 before closing out the stanza, totaling 15 kills . The Tiger offense also got a boost from three aces in the stanza.
SET 4 | TSU kept the momentum going, starting the set 6-0 with Aleksandra Rojecka getting 2.5 points in the run. The fast start helped in claiming the match win with a 25-14 fourth-set victory. The Tigers opened up as much as a 13 point lead at 16-3 before closing out the stanza. TSU got a solid defensive performance from a front row that blocked six Southern Indiana attacks in the stanza and capitalized on 10 Southern Indiana attacking errors on the way to victory..
LINDENWOOD 3, LITTLE ROCK 1
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The Lindenwood women's volleyball team came out on top with a 3-1 victory over Little Rock on Friday night in Arkansas.
Lindenwood took the first set in a dominant 25-17 victory, not wasting any time to get a strong offense rolling. The same was the case for set two, where the Lions ended things in a 25-16 final score, topping Little Rock in virtually every statistical category.
The home team was able to hang on in the third set, however, bringing the Lions down by a final score of 19-25.
The Lions stayed cool, however, and answered back with a 25-18 win in the fourth set, finally bringing down the Trojans by a 3-1 final score on the night. The Lindenwood offense was led by Mackenzi Sifuentes, who recorded a solid 17 total kills and impressive .640 hitting percentage on her 25 attempts. Madilyn Dement was next in line, tallying 13 kills and a strong .400 hitting percentage.
Abby VanBuskirk was all over the court, contributing a strong 52 total assists throughout the night, as well as adding two kills, seven digs and three service aces to her stat line. Jessie Seidel was a defensive machine per usual, recording 16 total digs on the night to lead the way for the Lions.
Overall, the Lions hit .348 as a team and knocked down an impressive nine service aces as a group, dominating the Trojans in both of those categories throughout the night.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, SIUE 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Three Redhawks finished in double-digits offensively as Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (13-14, 8-7 OVC) overcame SIUE (11-15, 6-9 OVC) in four sets (25-27, 25-22, 25-20, 25-23) Friday evening at Houck Field House.
Zoey Beasley led the SEMO attack with 16 kills and six digs while Kayla Closset chipped in a double-double outing of 15 kills and 13 digs on a .387 hitting percentage. Graduate student Colby Greene tallied 10 kills with a career-best matching six blocks and four digs.
After dropping the opening set in extra innings, SEMO rallied off three-straight set wins to secure the series opener with SIUE.
The Redhawks utilized a pair of 3-0 runs to take an early 10-9 and then 13-10 lead in the first set. SEMO went to the media stoppage with a slight 15-13 edge.
The Redhawks increased their margin to 21-16 after a 5-0 run that featured consecutive kills by Beasley.
The Cougars responded with an 8-1 rally to bring on set point for the visitors at 24-22.
Back-to-back kills from Closset and Kaelyn O'Brien then tied the frame at 24-24. Closset would add another rally stopper for another tie score line at 25-25.
SIUE then took the set with consecutive winners from Savannah Christian and Sydney Hummert.
In the second stanza, SEMO had to dig itself out of a deficit. The Cougars went on a 10-0 run to pull ahead 13-6.
After a Redhawks timeout, SEMO went on a 4-0 run to cut the lead to three (13-10).
The Redhawks then took the lead on a 11-1 run, 21-15, with Izzy Lukens serving. Closset had three kills during the sequence and Mackenzie Meehan added two with a pair of blocks.
Closset had five kills during the second set on a .833 clip followed by Meehan's four.
Beasley would knock a kill for set point at 24-20, before evening the match at 1-1 (25-22) with another rally stopper.
SEMO then hit a match-best .342 in the third stanza to increase its lead to 2-1.
A trio from kills by Ramiri Gardner and Beasley (2) provided a 14-10 lead for the Redhawks in set #3.
SEMO would then widen the gap to 21-16 after a 4-0 run. Meehan opened the rally with a kill before two kills from Greene followed by a solo block by Meehan.
Beasley slammed a rally stopper for set point before Gardner claimed the set with a winner, 25-20.
Trailing the fourth frame 12-8, SEMO would knot the stanza at 12-12 with four-straight kills.
The Redhawks then notched an 8-2 run to distance themselves from the Cougars, 20-16.
Kills from Closset and Greene would keep the SEMO lead at two (22-19 and then 23-21) before SEMO secured the victory after a block assist by Meehan and Greene followed by a winner by Greene, 25-23.
Greene compiled five kills during the final set while Beasley chipped in four.
Gardner totaled seven kills with five blocks Friday. Meehan finished with six kills and a career best nine blocks.
Lukens dished out 25 assists and 13 digs for the double-double. Jenny Shook added 12 assists and three digs including seven assists in set #3.
Tara Beilsmith finished with her third career double-double of 24 digs and a personal-best matching 10 assists. Addy McAleer scooped up 10 digs as four Redhawks had double-digit digs.
SEMO hit .193 Friday while SIUE finished with .071.
Christian led the Cougars with 11 kills (.286) followed by Hummert (nine kills) and Ainsley Ranstead (eight kills). Caroline Waite finished with 16 assists and 14 digs while Alyse Drifka had 16 digs and 15 assists. Nicole Kijowski, this week's Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week, had 16 digs.
SIUE notched 11 aces compared to two for the Redhawks.
SEMO had a season-best 15 blocks.
TENNESSEE TECH 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois (14-13, 8-6 OVC) lost their opening weekend match against the number two ranked team in the Ohio Valley Conference, Tennessee Tech ( 15-12, 12-3 OVC), by a final score of 3-1. EIU fought hard to force a set five but fell just short. The set scores were: 14-24, 25-20, 21-25, 26-28.
Eastern's offense went up-and-down Friday evening as EIU posted 54 kills, but had 34 attack errors as a team. EIU only allowed 50 kills to Tennessee Tech, but the Golden Eagles were able to hit .287 percentage compared to the Panthers' hitting percentage of .138.
The duo of Kaitlyn Flynn and Giovana Larregui Lopez led the way for the Panthers offense with 16 and 17 kills each. Flynn was able to extend her double digit kill streak to 15 straight matches. Larregui Lopez led the team in kills and digs with 13. It marked her 12th double-double of the season.
Ireland Hieb and Annika Black made their presence known from the middle blocker and opposite positions. Hieb had eight kills on a efficient .700 hitting percentage. It was her most kills since Sept. 2 against Chicago State (nine). Black had six kills which was her most since Sept. 9 against Purdue Fort Wayne (seven).
Despite the loss, Catalina Rochaix had a career day with a match and career high 44 assists to lead all setters. Rochaix previous career high was 43 assists. She also had a .423 setting percentage while posting 44 of a possible 54 kills by the Panthers.
Christina Martinez Mundo only had 12 digs, but ever one was important for the Panther defense. Martinez Mundo was all over the court, diving for key balls that would help the Panthers keep a rally alive or score a point. She also had four assists and one ace.
The Golden Eagle defense kept EIU off the board for most of the match. Tennessee Tech only allowed EIU to hit over .100% in one of the four sets (set two - .519%). TTU also had 17 total blocks compared to EIU's six. Hieb and Block both had three block assists.
Tennessee Tech was led by Taylor Dorsey with 14 kills and Madolyn Isringhausen with 12 kills. Skylar Boom and Morgan Gish were both stout on defense at the net with 10 and nine block assists each. Jordan Karlen also had 43 assists to lead TTU to the win.