Ohio Valley Conference

MARTIN, Tenn. - A riveting fifth set provided a fitting end to the University of Tennessee at Martin's volleyball match today as the Skyhawks defeated Western Illinois for their first Ohio Valley Conference victory of the season (22-25, 25-23, 25-19, 18-25, 15-13).

UT Martin trailed by a 12-8 margin in the deciding fifth stanza but rallied to score seven of the final eight points. Five different Skyhawks scored the final five UT Martin points as Kristin Phillips (kill), Ava Peters (kill), Dylan Sulcer (service ace), Kylie Surratt (kill) and Kayla Bryant (kill) helped the Skyhawks complete the impressive comeback.

Bryant stayed hot with her third consecutive double-double, amassing season-highs of 17 kills and 21 digs to go along with three service aces. Ava Peters handed out 41 assists while setting career-highs in both digs (17) and blocks (five) while Kristin Phillips tallied 10 kills, a career-best three service aces and a season-high four blocks.

The UT Martin trio of Abby Freund (match-best 27 digs), Dylan Sulcer (career-high 18 digs) and Carly Mueller (team-best five blocks) helped tame the Leatherneck offense.

The first set alone featured 13 tie scores and five lead changes. Neither side took more than a one-point lead until the Skyhawks claimed a 9-7 advantage. The scoring margin remained razor-thin before Western Illinois scored three straight points to go on top by an 18-15 margin. A Makaelah Paulino service ace pulled UT Martin back within one point late but the Leathernecks were able to take the early 1-0 lead in the match. Bryant had four kills and a service ace to top the Skyhawks in the opening set.

Phillips started the second stanza with back-to-back kills to get UT Martin back on track. After a Phillips service ace, Western Illinois scored four consecutive points and eventually took a 16-12 lead. The Skyhawks found themselves trailing by a 22-19 margin but scrapped back for six of the last seven points of the set, capped off with a Bryant service ace that knotted the match at 1-1. Freund managed a whopping 10 digs in the second set alone as UT Martin held the Leathernecks to an .035 hitting percentage.

The Skyhawks held a block party midway through the third stanza, at one point rejecting three blocks in the span of four points during a 6-0 surge. Mueller had a hand in all three blocks with two assisted swats and one solo block. Three Sienna Wnetrzak kills in the span of six points helped UT Martin extend its advantage out to nine points (21-12) as the Skyhawks advanced one step closer to victory. Bryant (team-highs of four kills, five digs) and Peters (eight assists, three blocks) led the way for UT Martin in the middle set.

Western Illinois began the fourth set on a 7-2 run and eventually led by a 14-8 margin before the Skyhawks mounted a comeback. UT Martin used a 7-3 surge to get back within striking distance as two straight Bryant kills made the score 18-16. However, the Leathernecks were responsible for seven of the next nine points to force a winner-take-all fifth set. Freund nabbed eight digs for the Skyhawks in the fourth stanza.

In the fifth set, UT Martin was incredibly composed in a pressure-packed environment – committing just one attack error in the entire stanza (.233 hitting percentage). Sulcer's service ace gave the Skyhawks their first lead in the set at 13-12 as she also scooped up a team-best five digs in the shortened stanza.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, SOUTHERN INDIANA 2
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri State (11-7, 4-2 OVC) edged Southern Indiana (7-11, 3-3 OVC) in a five-set thriller at Houck Field House on Friday, winning 22-25, 25-15, 21-25, 25-20, 15-12.

Southeast Missouri recorded 10 service aces and 14 total blocks to secure the victory in front of 170 spectators.

Southern Indiana started strong with a service ace from Ashby Willis to take a 5-4 lead. Southeast Missouri responded with back-to-back kills from Lucy Arndt to level the score at 6-6. The Screaming Eagles capitalized on multiple attack errors by SEMO, extending their lead to 13-8. SEMO closed the gap to 22-20 with a kill by Alaina Lester, but USI secured the set 25-22 with a service ace from Audrey Small.  

Southern Indiana surged ahead early with a 3-0 lead, featuring two kills by Willis. Southeast Missouri rallied back from a deficit, tying the set at 4-4 with a block by Katherine St. John and Ramiri Gardner. SEMO took control with a 6-point run, highlighted by a service ace from Arndt, extending the lead to 18-10. Marin Johnson's kill sealed the set for SEMO at 25-15, capping off a balanced team performance.  

Southern Indiana briefly led 3-2 after a kill by Bianca Anderson, assisted by Aysa Thomas. Southeast Missouri rallied to a 5-3 advantage as Johnson delivered a block and benefited from a USI attack error. Leah Coleman from USI recorded a kill to level the score at 10-10, maintaining competitive tension. Carley Wright's kill extended USI's lead to 20-16, supported by a service ace from Kerigan Fehr.

Reagan Nelson opened the scoring for Southeast Missouri with a kill assisted by Nina Schuberth. Southern Indiana responded with a service ace by Willis, tying the set at 4-4. A series of attack errors by Southern Indiana allowed SEMO to build momentum, advancing their lead to 11-9. Nelson secured the set for Southeast Missouri with two consecutive kills, closing the period 25-20.

SEMO began with an early advantage as Nelson scored a kill, assisted by Megan Holder. Southern Indiana tied the set at 2-2 with a kill from Willis, assisted by Thomas. Nelson played a pivotal role with multiple kills, including a crucial one that put SEMO ahead 13-11. Harper Highfill secured the set with a service ace, followed by another Nelson kill to close the set 15-12.

MOREHEAD STATE 3, LINDENWOOD 0
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Morehead State used a well-rounded effort to sweep Lindenwood 3-0 (25-112, 25-21, 25-23) in the opener of their Ohio Valley Conference series Friday night at Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo.

Morehead State (10-5, 4-0 OVC) was efficient in their attack, hitting .347 (the third highest efficiency of the season). The Eagles struck nine service aces and held an 8-2 advantage in total blocks on the match.

M.E. Hargan led the MSU attack with 15 kills on 31 attempts, hitting .367. Hollan Everett smacked 10 kills on just 18 swings, hitting a very efficient .556. Bailey Brashear led the Eagle defense up front with five total blocks including one block solo.  

The match opened as a tight affair. There were five ties early; with the teams tied at 6-6, MSU ran off a 17-1 run highlighted by four Tinsley Brown service aces and three blocks from Bailey Brashear. Hargan led the attack with six kills hitting .385. The Eagles slammed 14 kills in 26 attacks with just one error for a blistering .500 attack percentage while turning away five blocks in the frame.

The second set was again close through the early stages. With the score tied at 7-7, the Eagles extended a lead to 15-10 at the set break. Lindenwood got as close as three points, but Morehead State closed the set out 25-21. MSU got three service aces in the set and hit .189 in the set.

Both squads displayed a strong attack in the third set. Lindenwood controlled the early stages of the frame, leading until MSU tied the score at 10-10. The teams exchanged runs and Lindenwood used a three-point run to go ahead 18-15. Morehead State edged back ahead highlighted by Brown's fifth ace of the night to go ahead 21-20. The Eagles hit a .400 attack percentage while the Lions countered with a .353 hitting percentage for the frame.

Lindenwood (6-8, 2-4 OVC) was led on the attack by Ashley Geluck with 14 kills, hitting .500 on the match. Sophomore Autumn Bax posted seven kills and a match-high 10 digs.

LITTLE ROCK 3, SIUE 0
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - A six-hour road trip into Illinois didn't do anything to cool off the Little Rock volleyball team, as the Trojans went to SIUE on Friday and emerged with their fourth consecutive straight-set victory, winning by scores of 26-24, 25-21, and 25-19 at First Community Arena.
 
The Trojans (10-7, 5-0 OVC) not only maintained their half-game lead for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference, but are also off to their best start in conference play since 2014. Little Rock is three sets short of matching the program record for consecutive sets won (17), set in 2008 and matched in 2014.
 
The host Cougars fell to 9-8 overall and 4-2 in conference play. The second game of the series is scheduled for 3 pm Saturday and can be streamed on ESPN+.
  
The Trojans hit .291 as a team while limiting the SIUE offense to just .159. Little Rock came up huge in the third and final set, swinging to the tune of .462 with 12 kills on 26 attempts and no errors.
 
Crismeyli Rodriguez (12 kills, .407 attacking) and Bella Cherry (12 kills, .296) led the offensive onslaught. A'lanae Margaritha and Vivian Lucumi each had six kills, Dariana Valencia led the way with 19 assists, and Kaylee Smith had 17.
 
Jaycee Kennedy had a game-high seven blocks, Lucumi had five blocks, and Andrea Roman led all players with 16 digs. Valencia added nine digs, and Rodriguez finished with eight..

TENNESSEE TECH 3, TENNESSEE STATE 0
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech took the first two sets on Friday night, but Tennessee State wasn't going down without a fight as the Golden Eagles rallied from a seven-point deficit in the finale to complete the three-set sweep,

Tech (6-11, 3-2 Ohio Valley Conference) concludes the series against the Lady Tigers on Saturday at 2 p.m. Admission to all volleyball matches is free to the public. The match will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).

Bella Powell ended the match with a double-double, collecting 12 points and 11 digs, while Alayna Pierce had nine kills and Ava Schubert eight. Ayanna Rodgers had a solid outing as she came up with five kills and five assisted blocks to help pace the Golden Eagles. Jordan Karlen recorded 34 assists in the three-set win, while MK Roberts had 14 digs.

Aliyah Harris and Maygan Miller-Garcia led the Lady Tigers (1-18, 0-6 OVC) with six kills each, while Sagaia Reilly had 15 assists, Erini Bitsaktsi had 12 digs and Miller-arcia recorded a solo block and five assisted blocks.

The first set was a battle as the Golden Eagles and the Lady Tigers saw nine ties and two lead changes in the first game, with the set tied for the final time at 21-all. Tuva Falk collected a pair of service aces, then Powell earned a kill to force set point. Miller-Garcia inched State closer, but Karlen closed out the set with a kill with an assist from Powell for the 25-22 win.

There was no doubt in the second set as the Golden Eagles stormed out to an insurmountable lead, ahead by as many as 13 points to take a 25-13 victory and one set away from the match sweep.

Tennessee State went on a run and built a 15-8 lead. Behind Karlen's serve for six straight rallies, the Golden Eagles climbed back and tied the match at 20-all. As both teams challenged points, Tech was able to stave off a set point attempt as Audrey Berkebile claimed a kill on Aliyah Harris' block error to even the set at 24. Harris was charged with an attack error to give the Golden Eagles match point, then Tech walked off with the victory on Ella Watford's service ace.

Roberts had nine digs in the finale, while Powell had five kills, Schubert and Berkebile four during the stretch.