FRIDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 3, Oral Roberts 0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-22)
Eastern Illinois 3, UC Riverside 0 (25-9, 27-25, 25-10)
Akron 3,
Morehead State 1 (25-23, 23-25, 25-15, 26-24)
Coppin State 3,
Morehead State 0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-21)
Murray State 3,
Southern Indiana 0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-21)
@Bellarmine 3,
Southern Indiana 0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-19)
UT Martin 3, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-19)
@Missouri State 3,
UT Martin 2 (25-14, 23-25, 27-25, 22-25, 15-6)
@Valparaiso 3,
Western Illinois 0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-18)
@Tennessee Tech 3, East Tennessee 0 (25-15, 26-24, 25-16)
Kennesaw State 3,
@Tennessee Tech 1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-19, 25-16)
@UIC 3,
SIUE 0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-23)
Western Michigan 3,
SIUE 1 (25-20, 25-19, 20-25, 25-20)
Southeastern Louisiana 3,
Little Rock 1 (25-13, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22)
@Central Arkansas 3,
Little Rock 1 (25-11, 24-26, 25-18, 26-24)
Austin Peay 3,
@Lindenwood 0 (25-22, 25-19, 26-24)
@Lindenwood 3, ULM 1 (25-22, 25-21, 21-25, 25-14)
Southeast Missouri 3, Jacksonville State 0 (27-25, 25-21, 25-13)
Ole Miss 3,
Tennessee State 0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-15)
VALPARAISO 3, WESTERN ILLINOIS 0
VALPARAISO, Ind. - Western Illinois Volleyball fell in straight sets to Valparaiso on the first day of the Popcorn Classic. The Leathernecks fall to 0-3 in the young season.
SET 1
Set one started back and forth with each team trading the first four points. With the score tied at 4-4, WIU would use a service error and a Brittany Wulf kill to extend their lead to 6-4. Valpo would cut the lead to 7-6 before Keyana Cruse rattled off four straight kills, extending WIU's lead to 11-6. Valparaiso would battle back with an 8-3 run, tying the set at 14-14. The Leathernecks would stay within fighting distance as Wulf would have an ace, tying the match at 18. Valpo would eventually pull away with a 7-1 run to take set one 25-19.
SET 2
Valpo would open the second set on a 7-2 run, forcing a WIU timeout. The Leathernecks cut back into the five-point deficit with multiple mistakes by the Valpo offense. Valpo would use a 5-1 run, extending their lead back out to eight and having WIU use their second timeout. Down 19-11, Julianna Schmidt would get back-to-back kills, sparking a quick 3-0 run forcing a Valpo timeout. Valpo would come out of the time out with a 6-3 run to take set two 25-17.
SET 3
Set three started like the second set, as Valparaiso started on a 4-1 run. Down 6-4, Brittany Wulf would have three straight kills, pulling WIU in front 7-6. WIU would extend their lead to 8-6 with an attack error, forcing Valpo to call a timeout. Valpo would go on a 2-0 run out of the timeout to tie the game at 8-8. Both teams would stay within one point of each other until Valpo would pull ahead 17-14, causing WIU to call a timeout. Valpo would stay hot out of the timeout as they would end the third set on an 8-3 run, winning set three 25-18
Brittany Wulf led all players in kills with 11. Keyana Cruse was behind her with nine, and Julianna Schmidt had five, respectively. Maggie Craker dished out 23 assists, and Karli Wenzel led the team with 12 digs. WIU totaled four blocks as a team, with Schmidt having the only solo block.
Western Illinois continues its play at the Popcorn Classic tomorrow with matchups against Oakland University and Eastern Michigan at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, ORAL ROBERTS 0; EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, UC RIVERSIDE 0
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Eastern Illinois volleyball team opened up the second weekend of non-conference play with straight set wins over Oral Roberts and UC Riverside in the IUPUI Hampton Inn Invite on Friday. The pair of victories lifted the Panthers to a perfect 5-0 record on the still fresh season.
Game 1 vs. Oral Roberts
EIU defeated ORU 3-0. The final set scores were as follows: 25-23, 25-19, 25-22.
The Panthers took the first set behind seven kills from All-Conference outside hitter Giovana Larregui López, including three straight mid-way through the set. In the second set, four different Panthers contributed service aces while Julia Stanev led the scoring with four kills and a block assist, as the Panthers rolled to a 2-0 lead.
Eastern closed things out in the third set with last week's OVC Offensive Player of the Week Natalie Mitchem catching fire for seven kills.
Offensively, the Panthers were led by Giovana Larregui López with 12 kills. She was followed by Natalie Mitchem with nine kills, and Kaitlyn Flynn and Kate Dean, who recorded eight kills each. Dean led the team with a .400 hitting percentage.
Catalina Rochaix kept things rolling at the setter spot, collecting 42 assists as EIU finished the match with a .269 team hitting percentage.
On defense, the Golden Eagles has a tough time getting anything past Christina Martinez Mundo, who led the game with 17 digs, good enough for 5.66 digs per set. Larregui López added eight digs of her own, while Julia Stanev recorded three blocks.
Game 2 vs. UC Riverside
The Panthers defeated the Highlanders 3-0. The final set scores were as follows: 25-9, 27-25, 25-10.
EIU dominated the first set, which included two separate 9-0 runs by the Panthers. Giovana Larregui López stayed hot, leading the offense in scoring with four kills and two service aces. All-OVC hitter Kaitlyn Flynn also added four kills in the set on a .500 hitting percentage. The Panthers' defense was suffocating, with Catalina Rochaix and Kate Dean teaming up to block three Highlander attacks.
The Highlanders didn't lay down, however, and the Panthers were forced to deny a UC Riverside set point in the second set before earning a hard fought 2-0 lead. The third set was tight early, but Eastern closed out the set on a 12-1 run to take the match and complete their second shutout win of the day.
10 different players recorded kills for the Panthers, once again led by Giovana Larregui López, who finished the match with 13 kills on a fantastic .667 hitting percentage. Catalina Rochaix continued to be EIU's leading passer with 24 assists, as the Panthers finished with a .372 team hitting percentage.
Christina Martinez Mundo continued to lock things down on defense with a match high 21 digs. The Panthers recorded nine total blocks as a team, with Natalie Mitchem, Kate Dean, and Rochaix each contributing four block assists.
The Panthers will have the rest of Friday off before returning to action tomorrow at noon against IUPUI.
AKRON 3, MOREHEAD STATE 1; COPPIN STATE 3, MOREHEAD STATE 0
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Morehead State volleyball team lost to the Akron Zips 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 15-25, 24-26) Friday at the Marshall Invitational in Huntington.
The non-conference loss dropped Morehead State to 4-1 on the season.
The Eagles were led by a double-double from M.E. Hargan, who registered 10 kills and 13 digs on the day. Hollan Everett also added a career-high 15 kills to help the attack. On the defensive end, Peighton Isley chipped in with 14 digs to go with six blocks from Irene Wogenstahl.
SET 1 | The Eagles found themselves in an early deficit, losing a tight first set 25-23. Akron grabbed the advantage for good at 21-20 in a set that was tied up four times before the Zips took over in the second half of the stanza.
SET 2 | Morehead State fired back from a first-set loss to take the second set 25-23, evening the match at one set apiece. The Eagles grabbed the set propelled by a solid performance on the attacking end. Morehead State put together a .324 attack percentage with 17 kills in the set win. The Eagles opened up an 8-3 lead in the stanza and coasted to victory from there.
SET 3 | Akron responded to win set number three, putting Morehead State in a two sets to one hole. The Eagles fell in a tough set 25-15. Morehead State trailed by as many as 10 points as Akron grabbed the advantage for good at 2-1 in a set that was tied up just once before the Zips took over the lead.
SET 4 | Morehead State then fell in the fourth set 26-24 to finish off the match. The Eagles couldn't hang on in a back-and-forth set, losing in a stanza that featured six lead changes and was tied 11 times. Neither team opened up a lead of more than four points along the way.
The Morehead State volleyball team fell to the Coppin State Lady Eagles 3-0 (16-25, 18-25, 21-25) Friday in the Marshall Invitational in Huntington.
The non-conference loss dropped Morehead State to 4-2 on the season.
M.E. Hargan finished with eight kills on the day to lead the Eagles attack, while Morehead State got 10 digs from Peighton Isley to lead them defensively.
SET 1 | The Eagles fell behind early, dropping a tough first set 25-16. Morehead State trailed by as many as nine points as Coppin State never gave up the lead in a set that was notted up four times before the Lady Eagles took control.
SET 2 | A 25-18 set-two loss put Morehead State behind two sets to none in the match. Morehead State trailed by as many as nine points as Coppin State grabbed the advantage for good at 11-10 in a set that was tied up four times before the Lady Eagles took over the lead.
SET 3 | Coppin State finished off the sweep with a set-three win. The Eagles came up short by the score of 25-21. Coppin State grabbed the advantage for good at 15-14 in a set that was tied up five times before the Lady Eagles took over in the second half of the stanza.
Following a week of preparation, the Morehead State volleyball team hosts the annual Comfort Inn-Vitational next weekend.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0
CHICAGO, Ill. - Southeast Missouri volleyball (3-1) swept former Ohio Valley Conference member Jacksonville State (1-3) in their first match of the Windy City Classic by a final score of 3-0 Friday afternoon.
Friday's match expired in one hour and 24 minutes and included nine lead changes and 21 ties over the three sets.
The Redhawks won 27-25, 25-21, and 25-13 to earn their second sweep of the season and their third win overall on the campaign.
Kayla Closset made her presence felt in her return to the SEMO lineup after missing last weekend's tournament. Closset, the senior from Naperville, Ill., finished with nine kills and tied for the team lead in the category.
She also tallied one ace out of 15 serve attempts in the contest.
Marisa Giusti continued her hot start to the season, tying Closset with nine kills herself on just 13 attempts for an impressive .615 hitting percentage.
The Redhawks and Gamecocks battled in the first set as SEMO built a 23-18 lead late into the first frame. JSU would respond with a 5-0 run to tie it at 23 before SEMO was forced to call a timeout.
SEMO would come out and secure the first set with a 27-25 finish. As a team, the Redhawks hit 61-percent to JSU's 57-percent.
Following the first frame, it was all Redhawks. SEMO would hit 78-percent and 84-percent in the second and third set(s), respectively as the Redhawks finished with a team-attack of .178.
Graduate student Talia Gouard had a nice impact around the net finishing with four kills and a block assist. She also registered two service aces out of 14 attempts from behind the line.
Jenny Shook made her first start of the 2023 season as the sophomore setter was solid all day dishing out 25 assists. Shook also got in on the defensive action with a pair of block assists.
Libero Tara Beilsmith continued to lead the SEMO defense digging out 16 JSU attacks.
Senior defensive specialist Rachel Eddy made the play of the match with a diving attempt to get the ball back into play as it eventually found its way to Kayla Closset for the kill to swing the momentum completely in the Redhawks favor.
SEMO will play tomorrow afternoon against the host, Chicago State, at the Jones Convocation Center. First serve is slated for 2 p.m. and will conclude the Windy City Classic.
UIC 3, SIUE 0; WESTERN MICHIGAN 3, SIUE 1
CHICAGO, Ill. - SIUE volleyball dropped a pair of matches on Friday at the UIC Invitational inside Credit Union 1 Arena. The Cougars squared off against host UIC to open the tournament and capped the day against Western Michigan.
Match 1: SIUE at UIC
UIC used a .315 attack percentage to sweep SIUE in three sets with scores of 18-25, 20-25, and 23-25. The Cougars concluded the contest with a .198 clip on 34 kills and 86 total attacks. SIUE knotted the contest nine times in the first set, but the Flames remained hot and led the entire second set before taking victory after three.
Cydney Anderson led the Cougars with nine kills on 15 attacks, good for a .467 attack percentage. The freshman also led SIUE with three blocks.
Sophomore Bree Schreimann contributed six kills while Julia Treichel, Priscilla Jones, and Ainsley Ranstead added five each.
Alyse Drifka led the setting efforts for SIUE, finishing the contest with 15 assists. Corinna Jones contributed 14.
From the service line, Priscilla Jones led the Cougars with two service aces.
On defense, freshman Abi Banitt led SIUE with nine digs.
Match 2: SIUE vs. Western Michigan
Julia Treichel and Corinna Jones earned their first double-doubles of the season, but Western Michigan used a .219 hitting percentage to down SIUE in four sets with scores of 20-25, 18-25, 25-20, and 20-25. The Cougars picked up a season-high 62 digs in the contest while outblocking the Broncos 11-4. SIUE finished the contest with seven service aces.
Treichel led the Cougars with 10 kills on 29 attacks. She added 11 digs for her first double-double of the season.
Corinna Jones also picked up a double-double, finishing the contest with a team-high 20 assists while grabbing 10 digs. Drifka added 18 assists. She also led SIUE with three service aces.
Banitt led the Cougars while earning a season-high 24 digs.
Schreimann, Jones, and Sydney Hummert each contributed nine kills apiece. Schreimann wrapped the contest with a .280 clip on 25 attacks.
At the net, Chelsey Abel, Priscilla Jones, and Hummert tallied five blocks each.
The Cougars return to the court to close out the UIC Invitational on Saturday, Sep. 2 for a meeting with UAB. First serve is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
OLE MISS 3, TENNESSEE STATE 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee State Tiger volleyball team fell to the Ole Miss Rebels in straight sets (19-25, 18-25, 15-25) in day two action in the LUV Invitational at Lipscomb University. The Rebels were propelled by Ally Borellis' 37 assists and a strong front line that forced TSU into a .101 hitting percentage. The Rebels leave Nashville winning both of their games in the invitational.
Senior Jayla Holcombe finished with ten kills on the day to lead the Tiger (0-3) attack while finishing with a hitting percentage of .421. Freshman Celianiz Cabranes led them defensively with 12 digs. Junior Hennesys Lalane and Alanys Otero combined for 28 assists. For Lalane, this was her first game in a Tiger uniform.
SET 1 The Tigers fell behind early, dropping a tough first set 25-19. Tennessee State trailed by as many as eight points but rallied back to cut the lead to 18-15. A combined block by Jayla Holcombe and Kennedy Davis made the score 21-18, but the Rebels finished the set on a 4-1 run to go up 1-0. Three of Ole Miss' last five points came off of service errors.
SET 2 | A 25-18 set-two loss put Tennessee State in a 2-0 hole in the match. Tennessee State trailed by as many as seven points as Ole Miss grabbed the advantage for good at 9-8 in a set that was tied up five times before the Rebels took over the lead.
SET 3 | TSU was not able to win the third set and was swept by Ole Miss. The Tigers dropped the first point and never clawed back into the lead before falling in the set 25-15.
The Tigers will be back in action tomorrow when they take on Lipscomb at 6 p.m.
MURRAY STATE 3, SOUTHERN INDIANA 0; BELLARMINE 3, SOUTHERN INDIANA 0
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (1-5) played a competitive match in its loss to Murray State University (3-1), 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-21), before dropping the second match of the day to Bellarmine University (2-3), 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-19), at Knights Hall Friday evening to open the Bellarmine Invitational.
USI vs. Murray State
The Screaming Eagles had an early lead but watched it dwindle as the Racers came back and defeated them, 25-21. After giving up two straight points, USI went on a quick 6-0 run with the help of a couple of kills from senior outside/right side hitter Abby Bednar (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) and sophomore middle hitter Bianca Anderson (Chicago Heights, Illinois). The Eagles held on to the lead until three straight kills from MSU gave the Racers a 14-12 advantage. Both sides traded blows back and forth until MSU sealed the game by scoring four of the last five points. Bednar led the Eagles with five of the team's 10 kills.
Another competitive game from USI left the Eagles without satisfaction as MSU took the second set, 25-19. The Racers jumped out to a 4-2 lead before USI nabbed three points off a pair of MSU errors and a kill from Bianca Anderson. Back-and-forth play went on the entire set, but the Racers got the upper hand at the end after a game-sealing 3-0 run. Bednar racked up another five kills with senior outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois) tallying four kills. MSU had their best attacking set of the day, earning 16 kills with just one error and a 0.455 hitting percentage. The Eagles also performed a good attacking game, throwing down 13 kills with a 0.206 hitting percentage.
A few solid Racers' surges sealed the Eagles' fate in the final set, 25-21. USI came out of the gates with a 4-1 lead after kills from Leah Anderson and junior middle hitter Paris Downing (Avon, Indiana) along with a service ace from junior setter Carly Sobieralski (Indianapolis, Indiana). MSU retaliated with a big 6-0 stretch to make it 7-4 in favor of the Racers. Once again, the Eagles pushed back with three straight points. Down 10-9, USI gained some momentum and the lead after two kills from Bednar and an attacking error from MSU that made it 12-11. The Racers returned with four straight and made it 15-12. Trailing 21-17, USI made a last-second push and went on a 4-0 stint to tie it up at 21 apiece. Bednar was the culprit for a few of the Eagles' points, earning a kill, ace, and assist while Sobieralski tallied a block and a kill. Despite the late comeback, the Racers nailed four straight points to earn the sweep over the Eagles.
Bednar led the charge on the attack for USI, securing 15 kills to go with an ace and two blocks. Sobieralski threw up 29 assists along with seven digs and an ace while sophomore libero/defensive specialist Keira Moore (Newburgh, Indiana) racked up a team-leading 11 digs. Junior middle blocker Lauren O'Neill (Covington, Indiana) was the main blocker for USI, picking up two block solos and assists each.
As a team, the Eagles recorded 35 kills, 31 assists, and three aces to pair with 38 digs and five total blocks. The Racers ended the morning with 44 kills, 42 assists, and three aces to go with 45 digs and five blocks.
USI vs. Bellarmine
A big run by the Knights led to a 25-22 loss for the Eagles in the opening game. USI went up 6-2 with the help of a pair of kills from senior outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois) and a kill by senior outside/right side hitter Abby Bednar (Chagrin Falls, Ohio). Bellarmine retaliated with a 3-0 run right before the Eagles returned the favor by scoring three straight points. After taking a 13-8 lead, USI watched Bellarmine go on a 7-0 surge and scoring 11 of the next 13 points to take a 19-15 advantage. After a run-ending kill from sophomore outside hitter Bianca Anderson (Chicago Heights, Illinois), the Eagles cut the deficit to just one with a 4-1 stint. Bellarmine was able to extend the lead back to four and then seal the Eagles' fate. Despite being outhit 13 kills to 12 kills, the Knights earned five service aces in the opening set.
USI put up a strong fight at the end but could not recover from an early deficit, falling 25-22 in the second set. The Eagles found themselves in a hole after the Knights put up a 10-3 lead early in the game. USI was able to take advantage of a few Bellarmine offensive mistakes to pull with four. Down 18-11, the Eagles made a quick jump and scored three straight after a kill from Leah Anderson and junior middle hitter Paris Downing (Avon, Indiana). However, the Knights fought back with a 3-0 run of their own which made it 21-14. USI would end up scoring eight of the final 12 points of the set but would still be taken down by Bellarmine. Both sides put up match-high kills in the second frame with the Eagles recording 15 kills and the Knights tallying 18 kills.
A tough offensive outing for USI cost the Eagles the 25-19 third-set win as the Knights took home their second win of the season. It was back-and-forth play early into the game until Bellarmine went on a 5-0 surge to give themselves a 19-13 advantage. The Eagles could not recover from the late push from the Knights and were given their fifth loss of the season and fourth loss in a row. USI had just eight kills in the set while Bellarmine recorded 15 kills.
Leah Anderson put up a team-leading 13 kills with Bednar adding 11 kills of her own. Junior setter Carly Sobieralski (Indianapolis, Indiana) put up 28 assists, her sixth-straight match with 20 or more assists. Sophomore libero/defensive specialist Keira Moore (Newburgh, Indiana) nabbed 11 digs while Downing totaled a pair of blocks. Four Eagles recorded one ace including Downing, Moore, junior outside hitter Abby Weber (Fishers, Indiana), and senior libero/defensive specialist Audrey Crowder (Avon, Indiana).
As a team, the Eagles had 36 kills, 34 assists, and four aces to pair with 43 digs and four blocks. The Knights ended the night with 45 kills, 43 assists, and nine aces to go with 46 digs and five blocks.
The Eagles wrap up the Bellarmine Invitational Saturday morning against the University of New Orleans at 11 a.m. (CT). This will be the first meeting between the two sides.
UT MARTIN 3, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 0; MISSOURI STATE 3, UT MARTIN 2
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Several University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball players put together notable efforts on the first day of the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational as the Skyhawks swept Arkansas-Pine Bluff (25-19, 25-16, 25-19) before falling in a tough five-set decision against tournament host Missouri State (14-25, 25-23, 25-27, 25-22, 6-15).
Kayla Bryant led the way for UT Martin today with team-highs of 23 kills (2.88 per set) and 27 digs (3.38 per set). Kristin Phillips put away 18 kills on a team-best .455 hitting percentage while Addy Vaughn (45 assists) and Haeleigh Paulino (34 assists) split time at setter as the Skyhawks averaged 13.25 kills per set.
Paulino scooped up 23 digs while Kayla Carrell and Dylan Mott each posted 21 digs apiece. Olivia Saunders and Mia Saenz shared the team lead with seven blocks each for UT Martin (2-3).
This morning, the Skyhawks dispatched Arkansas-Pine Bluff in short order – improving to 8-0 all-time against the Lady Lions. Ryan Rednour established a career-high with 10 kills on a .368 attack percentage while tallying nine digs. Bryant nearly amassed a double-double (nine kills, nine digs) while Josie Hess came away with a match-high 14 digs. Saenz turned away three blocks (one solo) as UT Martin limited Arkansas-Pine Bluff to a paltry .132 hitting percentage for the match.
In the nightcap against the Bears, Bryant and Phillips tied for the team lead with 14 kills each – setting a career-high in that category for both Skyhawks. Vaughn distributed a career-best 27 assists, Bryant completed a double-double with a career-best 18 digs while Paulino (21 assists, 15 digs) also earned a double-double. Mott and Carrell shored up the defense with 21 and a career-high 16 digs, respectively, while Saunders compiled six blocks for UT Martin.
The Skyhawks complete the tournament tomorrow when they take on Kansas City at 12 p.m. It will be the first matchup between those two schools since 2011.
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 3, LITTLE ROCK 1; CENTRAL ARKANSAS 3, LITTLE ROCK 1
CONWAY, Ark. - Little Rock Volleyball opened the Central Arkansas Invitational on Friday with a 3-1 (13-25, 22-25, 25-22, 22-25) loss to Southeastern Louisiana. The Trojans fall to 0-4 to start the season.
Sophia Garrido and Daedrianna Cail led the Trojans in kills with nine each, followed by Bella Cherry with six. Dariana Valencia led the team in assists with 11, while Rylee McClintock recorded a team-high 12 digs.
Little Rock started the match with an 0-3 deficit, before a kill by Cherry put up the first Trojan point in set one. Southeastern Louisiana controlled the set rattling off as many as six straight points and recording the team's second best hitting percentage of the match with a .292 mark. Cherry led the team with three kills, while Carolina Rodriguez recorded a team-high three digs. The Trojans lost 13-25.
Set two saw a higher hitting percentage for both teams with Southeastern Louisiana recording a set best .333 with 16 kills on 33 attempts and five errors. Cail started the set for Little Rock with a kill. The score tied seven times with three lead changes. The Trojans maintained the lead half way through the set before an error sparked a five point run for Southeastern Louisiana. Little Rock came within one on a kill by Cail, but Southeastern Louisiana held on to win 25-22. Cail recorded six kills in the set on eight attempts and no errors for a .750 hitting percentage.
The third set brought 15 tied scores and nine lead changes as the Trojans won 25-22. The final point was on a kill by Garrido. Cherry led the team in set three with three kills. Garrido and Rodriguez each contributed two kills. McClintock recorded ten of her total digs in set three. Little Rock also recorded their highest hitting percentage of the match with a .267 mark.
Both teams fought hard for the win in the final set with 11 tied scores and six lead changes. With the score 22-20 in favor of Southeastern Louisiana, a service ace by Kaylle Smith brought Little Rock within one point. Two Trojan errors and a kill and service ace by Southeastern Louisiana closed out the set 25-22. Garrido and Arianna Escudero led the team in kills for set four with three a piece.
TENNESSEE TECH 3, EAST TENNESSEE 0; KENNESAW STATE 3, TENNESSEE TECH 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - It was a day full of ups and downs for the Tennessee Tech volleyball team Friday, as the Cookeville crew split its two matches against ETSU and Kennesaw State as part of day one of the Golden Eagle Invitational presented by Holiday Inn of Cookeville.
The purple and gold kicked off the day with a stellar display against in-state rival ETSU, blanking the Buccaneers with a 3-0 sweep behind strong offense and solid defense. Tech hit .250 as a unit to pile up 44 kills in just three sets, all while limiting the visiting Bucs to just 25 kills and an .052 attack of its own.
Squaring off with ETSU like bare-knuckled boxers in the first half of set one, the Golden Eagles used a 6-0 run to pull away heading into the media timeout. The purple and gold closed things down the stretch with a 10-6 advantage, cruising to a 25-15 statement of a win.
Fourteen kills, four service aces, and 13 digs proved plenty to fuel the opening-set victory, but the Bucs came looking for a fight and showed it in the second. The visitors from Johnson City, Tenn. pushed ahead early, leading by as many as four points before the purple and gold pushed its way back into the thick of things.
Trailing 15-11, Tech flipped the script with a 7-0 run to take its own advantage and never relinquish the lead again. The Bucs proved pesky down the stretch, forcing the Golden Eagles past the 25-point mark to secure the win, one ending in a 26-24 score.
It was a match-high 17 kills and 19 digs that paved the way for Tech head coach Jeannette Phillips' squad in the second set. ETSU looked well on its way to securing a win in set three and staving off elimination, erupting out of the gates for an 8-1 lead.
Resiliency proved important for the Golden Eagles, as the home group banded together and turned in an 11-2 run to take a 12-11 lead. Tech went on to close the contest on a 13-5 run, easing into a 25-16 victory to complete the sweep over the Bucs.
Junior outside hitter Bella Powell picked up her first double-double as a Golden Eagle, leading the match with 13 kills and 13 digs. For good measure, the Tech newcomer added four aces and two blocks while hitting .206.
Jumping in on the fun for the purple and gold was fellow outside Madolyn Isringhausen, accounting for 10 kills and seven digs on a .269 attack efficiency. Rookie right side Ava Schubert also contributed double-digit terminations, securing 10 on a .316 attack.
Quarterbacking the offense to a great performance was setter Jordan Karlen, distributing a whopping 38 assists with four kills, three aces, and seven digs. Middle blocker Elena Wallace turned in a team-high four blocks with three kills while fellow middle Ayanna Rodgers tacked on three blocks and four kills.
In the second match of the day, it was Kennesaw State posting the comeback bid, claiming a 3-1 win behind and particularly impressive final two sets. Tech nearly matched the Owls' kills output, falling just one short, but the efficiency and block numbers proved to be the difference makers.
The Golden Eagles looked well on their way to a set one victory, leading 22-15 before a controversial call saw what was sure to be Tech's 23rd point called back and replayed. Kennesaw State took advantage of the second chance, bouncing back with a 10-1 run to close the set and take the opener 25-23.
Set two seemed to follow a similar trajectory, with the purple and gold dominating early to the tune of a 21-13 lead. Again, the Owls delivered a comeback bid, closing to within a point at 23-21, but this time the Golden Eagles fended off the late attack and secured a 25-22 victory to even the match at 1-1.
Kennesaw State used superior attacking percentages to lock down wins in the final two sets, starting with a 25-19 decision in the third. Hitting .300, the Owls held Tech to a .156 attack to take the 2-1 lead.
It was much of the same in the fourth and final game, as the visitors improved to a .317 hitting percentage. Tech was limited to just .071 efficiency in the frame, while the Owls racked up four blocks.
For the match, it was the Golden Eagle outsides providing the damage. Powell secured another 14 kills with two blocks while Isringhausen accounted for a team-high 15 terminations and career-high 17 digs for her second double-double of the season.
Schubert turned in four aces, four blocks, and four kills while middle blocker Skylar Boom tallied seven kills and four blocks. Rodgers also added four blocks and five kills to the mix. Libero McKenna Young led the way with 20 digs and Karlen ended her night with 42 more assists to her name, just missing a double-double with nine digs. Aleeya Jones rounded out Tech's double-digit dig mix with 11.
Tech will wrap up play at the Golden Eagle Invitational presented by Holiday Inn of Cookeville Saturday afternoon, closing out the action with a 2:00 p.m. CT match-up against Cincinnati in the Hooper Eblen Center.
AUSTIN PEAY 3, LINDENWOOD 0; LINDENWOOD 3, ULM 1
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Lindenwood women's volleyball (3-2, 0-0 OVC) split their two matches on Friday as they host the Lindenwood Invitational in Hyland Arena. The Lions defeated UL Monroe during their second match to improve to 3-2 on the season.
Head coach Will Condon earned his 500th win late Friday evening. This also marked his 87th victory at Lindenwood. Previously, Condon coached at USC Aiken and Armstrong State. He has a career record of 500-247.
MATCH 1: APSU 3-0 LWU (22-25, 19-25, 24-26)
Austin Peay defeated the Lions in the second match of the Invitational as they Lions suffered their second sweep of the season. All sets, were close as the Lions tried to claw their way back multiple times.
Rebecca Janke led the way with 13 kills and a .300 hitting percentage while outside hitter Nyah Wilson contributed 10 kills and 11 digs. Wilson also had two of the four service aces by the Lions.
Lindenwood was held to just 10 kills in the first set and a .167 hitting percentage. Austin Peay's defense held Lindenwood's hitters in check as they did not hit over .200 in any set. APSU totaled six blocks including two solo blocks from Maggie Keenan.
Austin Peay's offense was led by Mikayla Powell who had a match high 18 kills with a .375 hitting percentage. Kelsey Mead led the Governors in assists with 33.
Lindenwood's Allie Otten had 25 assists over the course of the match and also added 10 digs. Libero Jessie Seidel also had 11 digs on defense. Freshman Jade Roth had a solid performance with five kills in her first career start.
MATCH 2: LWU 3-1 ULM (25-22, 25-21, 21-25, 24-14)
The Lions stormed back during the late match against Louisiana Monroe as they took the match in four sets to secure Condon's 500th victory of his career.
Lindenwood came out of the gates posting their best hitting percentage through four sets with a .227 in the opening frame. The Lions connected on 13 kills in that set including help from Wilson and Janke.
Wilson led the way for LU as she netted 13 kills and one ace. Janke contributed on both sides of the net with 11 kills, three assists and three total blocks including one solo. Addy McAleer also added eight kills and nine digs in the win.
Lindenwood was able to go up 2-0 after two sets with a 25-21 set victory. The lions hit .250 with 12 kills and were held to just two errors. Otten also made a statement with six service aces in the win while the Lions had a total of 12 throughout the match.
Despite ULM winning the third set (21-25) behind the likes of Taylor Thomas (10 kills and 10 digs) and Ariana Brown (10 kills), the Lions battled back in the fourth to close out the night. Otten also managed 33 assists in the win with Seidel leading the way on defense with 14 digs.
Lindenwood will be back in action tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. when they close out the Lindenwood Invitational against Indiana State. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.