SATURDAY'S SCORES
Bradley 3,
Tennessee Tech 2 (25-21, 25-17, 23-25, 18-25, 15-11)
Tennessee Tech 3, @Ohio 1 ( 19-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-20)
Mercer 3,
SIUE 1 (20-25, 26-24, 25-19, 25-22)
SIUE 3, Bethune-Cookman 0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-16)
Northern Iowa 3,
Southeast Missouri 0 (25-14, 25-20, 26-24)
Southeast Missouri 3, Western Michigan 1 (25-22, 21-25, 25-23, 25-18)
Eastern Illinois 3, @Eastern Kentucky 1 ( 25-23, 26-28, 25-23, 26-24)
North Alabama 3,
@Morehead State 0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-13)
Duquense 3,
Southern Indiana 1 (19-25, 25-15, 25-19, 25-15)
@Middle Tennessee 3,
UT Martin 1 (17-25, 26-24, 25-20, 25-19)
Utah Tech 3,
Tennessee State 2 (18-25, 15-25, 25-16, 25-22, 15-9)
MERCER 3, SIUE 1; SIUE 3, BETHUNE-COOKMAN 0
DELAND, Fla. - The SIUE volleyball team returned to action on Saturday as the Cougars fell to Mercer in four sets before picking up their first win of the weekend to Bethune-Cookman in a three-set sweep. The Cougars move to 4-4 on their 2022 campaign following the split on Saturday.
Match 1: SIUE 1, MERCER 3
After SIUE took the opening set 25-20, a late offensive push by the Bears in the second allowed Mercer to even the match with a score of 26-24. Mercer carried its momentum into the third, controlling the lead for the entire set and used 10 attack errors from the Cougars its advantage, taking the set 25-19 and a 2-1 advantage.
With Mercer up 10-5 in the fourth set, Ainsley Ranstead responded with a kill that began an SIUE rally. With the fourth set at 21-20 in the Cougars' favor, Mercer found its groove again to take the set and the match.
Julia Treichel led the Cougars with 13 kills in the loss while Savannah Christian added 12 kills of her own. Nicole Kijowski picked up 19 digs while Caroline Waite contributed 11 digs and a team-high 28 assists.
Match 2: SIUE 3, Bethune-Cookman 0
The Cougars grabbed control of the match from the start, jumping out to a 9-4 lead with the help of six kills. With the Cougars leading the set 13-10, SIUE kept their foot on the gas pedal and finished with a 12-4 run to take the first set, 25-14.
Betune-Cookman took an 11-9 lead over SIUE in the second set but was followed with an impressive 8-0 scoring run from the Cougars that included three service aces from Caroline Waite. The Cougars maintained their momentum for the rest of the set to take the 2-0 advantage over the Wildcats.
SIUE took the lead mid-way through the third set up 10-9, until another 8-0 scoring run boosted the Cougars' lead to 18-9. The Wildcats fought their way back to get within six points, but the Cougars' .355 hitting percentage in the final set was too much to overcome for Bethune-Cookman. SIUE went on to take the set 25-16 and the victory.
Julia Treichel led the Cougars with 12 kills while adding 9 digs and a block. Sydney Hummert and Savannah Christian also added kills for the Cougars, with nine and eight respectively, while Nicole Kijowski recorded a team-high 13 digs. Caroline Waite led SIUE with season-high 38 assists in the win.
The Cougars will travel to Green Bay, Wisconsin for the Green Bay Invitational in their final three games before Ohio Valley Conference play begins. SIUE will play in a Friday doubleheader against Drake at 1:00 p.m. and North Dakota at 5:00 p.m. before closing out their nonconference schedule with host Green Bay at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 1
RICHMOND, Ky. - Eastern Illinois (5-5, 0-0 OVC) defeats Eastern Kentucky (7-3, 0-0 ASUN) in four sets to win the Geri Polvino Invitational. Panthers went 3-0 on the weekend defeating Purdue Fort Wayne, Saint Francis (Pa.) and EKU. The set scores from today's match were: 25-23, 26-28, 25-23, 26-24.
Chosen as the Invitational MVP, Kaitlyn Flynn dominated the match with a career high 29 kills in the win. Flynn set the new four set record with 86 attack attempts, taking down a record held since 2004. Flynn also collected two service aces, three block assists and 15 digs (third on the team).
Ella Collins was strong at the net today with 14 kills, only trailing Flynn on EIU. Lilli Amettis led the team in hitting percentage with a .462 and had six kills. Ireland Hieb and Tori Mohesky had seven and six kills each to help the Panthers on offense. Despite 35 attack errors, EIU remained calm while hitting for .178 during the match.
Four Panthers posted double digit assists in the win, but were led by Catalina Rochaix with 31. Rochaix also set her new career best in assists breaking a record that lasted just one day (posted 29 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne). Summerlyn Smith collected 15 while Sylvia Hasz posted 10.
Christina Martinez Mundo provided that defensive spark that led the Panthers. She posted 27 digs to lead EIU and collected 10 assists on offense. She was selected to the All-Tournament team. Ashley Sharkus slid into a defense role in the win as she collected 16 digs and a service ace.
Five different Panthers collected at least one ace against EKU including two from Flynn in the third set. Hieb not only was efficient on offense, but also led the team in blocks with eight block assists. Annika Black also had five block assists and one solo. She was voted as the player of the match.
Eastern Kentucky was led by Molly Michalak had 12 kills and 17 digs for the Colonels. Sarah Mitchell led EKU on defense with 22 digs in the match. Four different players for EKU posted at least 15 digs. Chloe Mason also recorded 23 assists.
The Panthers will return home on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. to face-off against Big Ten opponent Illinois. EIU has only hosted two ranked teams in the history. Livestats and ESPN+ will be made available.
NORTH ALABAMA 3, MOREHEAD STATE 0
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State volleyball team lost to the North Alabama Lions in three sets (21-25, 23-25, 13-25) Saturday at home at Johnson Arena to wrap up the Comfort Inn-Vitational.
The loss moved Morehead State to 3-5 on the season.
Morehead State had four players in double figures in digs.
Abby Hulsman registered a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs, her second consecutive double-double.
Maycie Welborn tied for the team-high with 10 kills for Morehead State.
Morehead State got a team-high 13 digs from Shea Hefner.
Morehead State was limited to only .116 hitting for the match, with 24 attack errors. North Alabama hit .262.
Morehead State heads out west to Wyoming for the UNIWYO Invite next weekend where the Eagles face the host team, Idaho and Nicholls State.
DUQUESNE 3, SOUTHERN INDIANA 1
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (0-9, 0-0 OVC) completed the Chattanooga Classic with a 3-1 (25-19, 15-25, 19-25, 15-25) loss to Duquesne University (2-8) Saturday afternoon at Maclellan Gym. The Screaming Eagles won the opening frame but watched the Dukes win three-straight sets to snap its's five-match losing skid.
USI used an all-around effort to win the opening set, 25-19. Duquesne began with a 2-0 lead before junior outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois) kicked things off for the Eagles, knocking down three kills to help USI tie it at five apiece. After a pair of attack errors from the Dukes and a couple of kills from junior outside/right side/setter Katherine Koch (Belleville, Illinois), the Eagles gained a two-point advantage. Sophomore outside/right side hitter Abby Bednar (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) tallied back-to-back kills to spark a 7-2 USI surge to extend to a 19-13 gap. Despite a late comeback from Duquesne, the Eagles held onto the lead thanks to a set-ending service ace from Koch. USI ended the set with 12 kills, two aces, and a .276 hitting percentage.
Duquesne, however, used an early 7-0 run to secure a 25-15 second set victory. With USI holding to a 5-3 lead, the Dukes plotted a 7-0 surge that ended with a Duquesne five-point advantage. Sophomore middle hitter Paris Downing (Avon, Indiana) was able to stop the Dukes' impressive run with a kill before Koch and sophomore outside hitter Abby Weber (Fishers, Indiana) each tallied a kill to put the Eagles within three. Strategic runs by Duquesne put USI in a hole, leading to a 17-10 gap. Weber and Anderson provided a pair of kills each, but it was not enough to stop the raging Dukes from handing USI its first loss of the match. The Eagles provided 12 kills but lost traction due to nine attack errors.
The Dukes used its second-set momentum to conquer the third frame, 25-19. USI took an early 3-1 lead before Duquesne went on an 8-1 surge to hold a 9-4 advantage. The Dukes piled on the points, but sophomore middle blocker Lauren O'Neill (Covington, Indiana) tried to stop the bleeding with one of her three kills in the set. The Eagles went on a short run due to two Duquesne attack errors and an Anderson kill to cut the deficit to just five. The Dukes would not back down and secure the set win and claim a one-set lead over USI.
The Eagles watched the Dukes walk away with a 25-15 match-sealing win in the fourth set. USI began the frame with an ace from junior libero/defensive specialist Audrey Crowder (Avon, Indiana) and a kill from Downing before Duquesne retaliated with three kills of its own. With the score knotted up at four, the Dukes went on a short surge before Weber's kill ended the streak. Despite being within one, USI allowed Duquesne to spark another run, this time a 5-0 stint to double up the Eagles, 12-6. Back-to-back kills from Weber kept USI in the match but the Dukes kept pulling away, eventually reaching a 21-12 lead. Downing, O'Neill, and sophomore setter Carly Sobieralski (Indianapolis, Indiana) each tallied a kill in the final moments of the set before Duquesne sealed the Eagles' fate.
Anderson, who was named to the All-Tournament team, led the charge for USI, securing 14 kills, while Koch nabbed a career-high tying three aces. Downing stood tall for the Eagles at the net, tallying a career-high seven blocks. Koch led the passing game for USI by tabbing 22 assists while Crowder was the lone Eagle with double-digit digs, recording 10.
As a team, USI had 43 kills, four aces, and 34 assists to go along with 10 blocks and 47 digs. The Eagles put up an impressive first-set stat line with 12 kills and a .276 hitting percentage. USI matched its kills count in the second set but doubled its error margin, recording a match-high nine attack errors that led to a .088 attacking percentage. The Eagles' third frame ended with 10 kills and eight errors while set four saw nine kills and five errors leading to a .130 hitting percentage for the match.
The Eagles will compete in the NIU Tri-Match in Dekalb, Illinois next Friday and Saturday. USI will battle the University of Rhode Island Friday at 11 a.m. before taking on Northern Illinois University Saturday at 11 a.m. This will be the final non-conference match of the season for the Eagles.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 3, UT MARTIN 1
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -Things started out well for the University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team today but the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders mounted a comeback as the Skyhawks fell in four sets (25-17, 24-26, 20-25, 19-25).
UT Martin’s offense stayed hot today as the Skyhawks hit .252, directed by Haeleigh Paulino’s season-best 40 assists. Karen Scanlon collected 17 kills on a .517 hitting percentage, committing only two errors on 29 swings. Logan Wallick provided 13 kills on a .345 attack percentage while Kambree Lucas tacked on 11 kills and a match-high three service aces.
Dylan Mott scooped up a team-best 13 digs while Mia Saenz rejected a match-high three blocks for UT Martin (6-4).
The Blue Raider Invitational all-tournament team was announced at the conclusion of the match as Paulino and Wallick each earned spots on the seven-member squad. Paulino distributed 97 assists (9.70 per set) with 22 digs and six service aces in three matches while Wallick amassed 27 kills (3.86 per set) on a .451 hitting percentage in a pair of matches.
Four different Skyhawks (Saenz, Scanlon, Lucas, Wallick) accounted for the team’s first four kills of the match. Scanlon piled up three more kills during a 6-0 UT Martin run that resulted in a 13-7 Skyhawk advantage. Lucas soon added a kill and a service ace to help UT Martin stretch its lead out to 18-10. Wallick took over from there, generating three kills in the span of five points on the way to the first-set victory. The Skyhawks hit a remarkable .536 in the opening set, landing 17 kills against just two errors in 28 attempts. Wallick and Scanlon each had five kills apiece.
UT Martin was in prime position to take a 2-0 lead but the Blue Raiders stormed back for a 6-1 run to end the second set. The Skyhawks battled back from a 4-1
deficit to take their first lead at 6-5 thanks to a pair of Angel Baylark kills. Lucas soon rose high for a kill and served up back-to-back aces to nudge UT Martin’s lead out to 16-11. Middle Tennessee responded with four straight points but three consecutive kills from Lucas resulted in a 23-20 Skyhawk advantage. However, the Blue Raiders rallied to force a 1-1 tie in the match. Lucas shined in the second stanza, accumulating five kills and two service aces while Paulino dished out 13 assists.
The score was 5-4 in favor of Middle Tennessee (8-2) to start the third set but the Blue Raiders then scored six unanswered points. UT Martin responded with six of the next eight points, including service aces from Mott and Kayla Carrell. Three straight Skyhawk kills kept UT Martin’s deficit at three but Middle Tennessee came right back with a 7-1 run to go on top by a 23-14 margin. A trio of Wallick kills helped spur a 6-1 Skyhawk surge that closed the gap to 24-20 but the Blue Raiders soon converted set point. Wallick had four kills in five swings in the third set.
Scanlon opened the fourth set with back-to-back kills and later added another rally killer as UT Martin claimed a 10-5 advantage. Middle Tennessee then scored 13 of the next 18 points before another Scanlon kill temporarily halted the Blue Raider momentum and pulled the Skyhawks within a single point at 18-17. Scanlon tacked on her seventh kill of the set to keep the margin at one but Middle Tennessee wrapped up the match with five straight points. Paulino assisted on 10 of UT Martin’s 11 kills in the final stanza.
The Skyhawks conclude the nonconference portion of their schedule next weekend when they travel to Clarksville, Tenn. for the Stacheville Challenge. UT Martin will take on ETSU (10 a.m.) and North Dakota State (4 p.m.) on Friday, Sept. 16 before facing off against tournament host Austin Peay on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 1:30 p.m.
UTAH TECH 3, TENNESSEE STATE 2
BERKELEY, Calif. - Recap coming soon.
NORTHERN IOWA 3, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, WESTERN MICHIGAN 1
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Recap coming soon.
BRADLEY 3, TENNESSEE TECH 2, TENNESSEE TECH 3, OHIO 1
ATHENS, Ohio - Recap coming soon.