Ohio Valley Conference

MIAMI (OHIO) 3, SIUE 0
INDIANA STATE 3, SIUE 2
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - SIUE volleyball opened their season at the Bellarmine tournament, taking on Miami (Ohio) first.
 
The Cougars fell to Miami in three sets, set scores were 25-12,25-19 and 25-23.
 
Sophie Robinson led the Cougars in this first game with 10 kills. Ally Hughes posted 15 assists and was followed by Paige Bernstein with 13.
 
SIUE faced Indiana State for their second game of the day going five sets. While the Cougars were unable to take the win, there were some strong performances.
 
Bree Schreimann and Robinson both had 15 kills, while Bernstein had 29 assists in this match. She was followed by Hughes with 22 assists.

XAVIER 3, TENNESSEE TECH 0
TENNESSEE TECH 3, MURRAY STATE 0
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Alayna Pierce and Jordan Karlen put on a show to wrap up the season's opening day as the Tennessee Tech volleyball team took down Murray State in a 3-0 sweep Friday afternoon at the Stacheville Challenge at Austin Peay.

Pierce ended the match with 15 kills and a .294 hitting percentage, while Karlen dished out 39 of the Golden Eagles' 44 assists – six short of her three-set record against Southern Indiana in 2022.

The Golden Eagles completed the sweep with 25-22, 25-20 and 25-20 set scores.

Tech (1-1) completes their weekend in Clarksville on Saturday as it takes on Austin Peay at 4 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).

The Golden Eagles fell in three sets to Xavier in the day, falling 25-19. 25-18 and 25-16 to the Big East Musketeers. In the opener, Pierce had 10 kills, but Xavier squared in on her, forcing 12 attack errors.

Tech scored the first four points in the opening set against the Musketeers, but saw Xavier come storming back with eight ties and three lead changes. The trend continued in the second set with nine ties and four swaps, but Xavier went on a 10-4 run to close out set one and 12-5 in set two to gain the advantage. In the third set, trailing 13-12, the Musketeers outscored Tech on a 12-4 run to clinch the match.

Karlen had 24 assists in the day's opener, while the Golden Eagles were held to four total blocks – a single solo for Karlen and Tuva Falk and assisted stops by Jordyn Milhouse, Bella Powell, Falk and Pierce.

Fortunes were significantly better in the later match against their former Ohio Valley Conference foe, Murray State. In addition to Pierce's 15 kills, Audrey Berkebile and Powell nearly collected double-digit kills with nine each.

Tech had nine blocks on 18 assisted stops, led by Falk with five, Powell and Milhouse with four each.

In the first set, with the score squared at 17, Tech forced back-to-back attack errors – the latter on a Falk and Powell combo on the block. Milhouse, Powell and Berkebile were able to get kills to close out a 8-5 Tech series to claim the first set.

The second and third sets saw the Golden Eagles lead almost wire to wire with one tie in the second, two ties in the third and zero lead changes. Tech led by as many as six points and the Racers cut it back within four late, but it wasn't enough to recover. The Golden Eagles climbed out to a 10-3 lead to open set three and led by as many as eight before the Racers rallied back within four before an assisted block by Powell and Falk clinched the match.

NORTHWESTERN STATE 3, TENNESSEE STATE 2
USC-UPSTATE 3, TENNESSEE STATE 0
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Tennessee State battled through two tough matches Friday at the Tiger Brawl, showing stretches of dominance and resiliency despite falling in both contests. The Tigers pushed Northwestern State to five sets before dropping a 3-2 decision (25-12, 18-25, 22-25, 25-19, 15-10) and later faced South Carolina Upstate, falling 3-0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-23).The non-conference loss moved Tennessee State to 0-2 on the season.

The Tigers were led by a double-double from Carsyn Stansberry, who registered 13 kills and 18 digs on the day. Maygan Miller-Garcia also added 10 kills to help the offense. On the defensive end, Sydni Poston chipped in for with 16 digs to go with two blocks from Gabriella Blevins.

The Tigers grabbed control of the set-one lead at 4-3 and never looked back to win 25-12. Tennessee State led by as many as 16 points at 23-7 before finishing off the set. Tennessee State also supplemented their offense with four aces in the opening set.

Tennessee State fell in the second set 25-18 to even the match 1-1. Tennessee State trailed by as many as eight points as Northwestern State grabbed the advantage for good at 12-11 in a set that was tied up five times before the Demons took over the lead.

Tennessee State lost again in set three to make it a 2-1 deficit. The Tigers rallied from an 11-point hole at 18-7, but Northwestern State hung on to win the set 25-22.

Tennessee State broke their two set losing streak and forced a fifth set with a 25-19 victory in set number four. The Tigers took the lead for good at 15-14 in a set that showcased four lead changes before the Tigers took over in the second half of the stanza.

After dropping sets two and three, Tennessee State won set four, knotting up the game at two sets apiece to force a fifth set, but couldn't complete the comeback, losing the set 15-10 and the match 3-2. The Tigers had a lead early in the set at 4-4 before Northwestern State took over.

In game two, I'Onna Jones finished with nine kills on the day to lead the Tigers offense. got nine digs from Sydni Poston to lead them defensively.

The Tigers fell behind early, dropping a tough first set 25-11. Tennessee State trailed by as many as 14 points as South Carolina Upstate never gave up the lead in a set that was tied up zero times before the Spartans took control.

A 25-18 second-set loss put Tennessee State in a 2-0 deficit in the match. The Tigers dropped the first point and never took the lead before dropping the set.

Tennessee State was not able to win the third set and was swept by South Carolina Upstate. The Tigers dropped the set 25-23 in spite of a solid performance on the attacking end. Tennessee State put together a .324 attack percentage with 16 kills in the set loss.

NORTH TEXAS 3, LITTLE ROCK 1
LITTLE ROCK 3, WEST TEXAS A&M 1
COMMERCE, Texas - Little Rock dropped its season opener Saturday by a 3-1 decision against North Texas in the opening match of the 2025 Lion Invitational, hosted by East Texas A&M. The Trojans return to the court tonight at 7 pm to take on the event host.
 
Little Rock (0-1) swept all three matches during this event a year ago, but was unable to finish off close sets early and recover from a slow start in the fourth and final set. North Texas (1-0) took the match by scores of 25-23, 26-24, 19-25, and 25-15.
 
A'lanae Margaritha led the Trojans with 12 kills on .391 hitting, while Bella Cherry and Crismeyli Rodriguez each hammered down nine kills to pace the Little Rock attack. Dariana Valencia had a team-high 18 assists, with Kaylee Smith adding 15. Cherry and Andrea Roman each had a service ace.
 
Defensively, Jaycee Kennedy led all players with seven blocks, Rodriguez had six, and Margaritha added five. Roman and Valencia had 15 digs apiece, Rodriguez had 11, and Cherry also reached double figures with 10.

On the strength of outstanding offensive performances by seniors A'lanae Margaritha and captain Jaycee Kennedy, Little Rock closed out the first day of the Lion Invitational with a 3-1 win over host East Texas A&M on Friday, the first Trojan victory of the new season.
 
Margaritha (17 kills, .667 attacking) and Kennedy (11 kills, .600 attacking) were there any time the Trojans (1-1) needed a point as Little Rock topped the Lions by scores of 25-17, 20-25, 25-18, and 25-23.

Bella Cherry was also big on the offensive side, registering 14 kills as the Trojans hit .180 for the contest, including .303 in the opening set to lay the foundation for a successful night on the attack. Dariana Valencia led all players with 28 assists, Kaylee Smith had 20 assists, and Cherry also served up three aces.
 
On the defensive side, Andrea Roman led the team with 24 digs, Cherry had 15, Smith added 10, and Crismeyli Rodriguez also came up with 10. Kennedy (5 blocks), Avery Fearnley (4), Rodriguez (4), and Margaritha (4) patrolled the net defensively.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, GRAMBLING 0
MISSISSIPPI STATE 3, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Southeast Missouri Volleyball (1-1) split a pair of matches on opening day beginning with a 3-0 sweep of Grambling State, before falling to Mississippi State, 3-0. 
 
Southeast Mo. St. opened the first set against Grambling with a strong performance, overcoming an early deficit to secure a 25-14 victory. After trailing 2-0, the Redhawks rallied with a crucial 6-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back service aces from Nina Schuberth and a kill from Lucy Arndt at 7-3. Katy St. John and Alaina Lester each contributed key points to widen the lead, with Avery Torrey sealing the set with a decisive kill from an assist by Alandry Below.
 
Southeast Missouri State started the second set with a burst of energy, capitalizing on a service error from Grambling to take the first point at 1-0. Despite trailing 10-5, SEMO rallied with an impressive run, including contributions from St. John and Arndt, to tie the score at 14-14. Kara Oxenknecht played a critical role in the latter part of the set, helping to block a series of Grambling attacks and contributing key kills. The set concluded with Mackenzie Tucker making an impactful entrance, serving two consecutive aces to help SEMO secure the set 25-16.
 
The third set began with a strong performance by Southeast Mo. St., who quickly turned a tied score into a 5-1 lead, highlighted by a kill from St. John at 0-1. The team maintained momentum with Arndt contributing multiple kills, helping to stretch the lead to 10-4. Reagan Nelson's service aces and Lester's blocks further widened the gap, bringing the score to 21-9. Tucker and Oxenknecht added key kills as Southeast Mo. St. closed the set with a decisive 25-11 victory, with Nelson securing the final point.

Mississippi State secured the first set with a score of 25-16. Gha'Naye Whitfield-Moss led the Bulldogs with multiple kills and a block. Lindsey Mangelson contributed two service aces for Mississippi State. Lucy Arndt from Southeast Missouri State recorded several key kills. Alaina Lester also added multiple kills to the Redhawks' score.

Mississippi State won the second set 25-18. Arndt led the Redhawks with four kills in the set. Mangelson recorded five kills for the Bulldogs during this set. Southeast Missouri State had a total of three service aces, contributing to their score. Maria Bernardita Aguilar Toranza added four kills for Mississippi State in this set.

Mississippi State secured the set with a final score of 25-17. Cayley Hanson contributed with a service ace and multiple assists. Aguilar Toranza led the Bulldogs with key kills. Alandry Below facilitated several successful attacks for Southeast Missouri State. Mississippi State had a strong finish with a 6-2 run to close the set.

LINDENWOOD 3, UNC-WILMINGTON 1
LINDENWOOD 3, NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL 0
WILMINGTON, N.C. - The Lindenwood women's volleyball team (2-0, 0-0 OVC) completed a successful opening day at the Hampton Inn and Suites Seahawks Classic with a pair of wins over UNC Wilmington and North Carolina Central. The Lions used contributions from a combination of familiar faces and newcomers to get out to a 2-0 start on the season.

The Lions overcame an early deficit to post a 3-1 win over the Seahawks in the season opener. After dropping the opening set 23-25, the Lions did not trail for the remainder of the match as they took the next three frames (25-22, 25-22, 25-13).

Lindenwood had two players in double digit kills, including Autumn Bax (14) and Jade Roth (13). Roth added four total blocks (1 BS – 3 BA) to her performance to lead the team with 15.5 points.

Freshman Shannon Monahan joined Roth and Bax in double digit points (10.0) with eight kills and two service aces. Meanwhile, fellow freshman Kylee Richey had a solid outing with seven kills and three block assists.

OVC Preseason Player to Watch Ashley Geluck recorded six kills on a .455 hitting percentage while adding a trio of block assists, a service ace, and five digs.

Meghan Donoughue had a fantastic performance in her Lindenwood debut. The redshirt freshman posted a double-double with 38 assists and 16 digs while adding seven kills and three block assists.

Dana Grib led the team in digs with a total of 17, averaging 4.25 digs per set.

Lindenwood carried their momentum into Friday's second contest as they disposed of North Carolina Central in straight sets (25-21, 25-20, 25-18). The Lions used a 4-0 run in each set to grab the lead for good, including for the entire third frame.

Ashley Geluck stood as Lindenwood's scoring leader in the match, posting 13 points with seven kills, two blocks, and a career high five service aces.

Autumn Bax recorded her second double-digit kill performance of the day with 10 kills on a .471 hitting percentage.

Jade Roth joined Geluck with seven kills, while the freshman duo of Shannon Monahan and Kylee Richey posted five kills apiece.

Meghan Donoughue led the Lions with 29 assists (9.67 APS) while Dana Grib posted a team-high nine digs.

VALPARAISO 3, SOUTHERN INDIANA 0
SAINT LOUIS 3, SOUTHERN INDIANA 0
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles opened the 2025 season with tough losses to Valparaiso and Saint Louis in the USI Invitational at Liberty Arena. Two freshmen earned their first college starts, setter Aysa Thomas and right-side Carley Wright, making a big impact on the court.

Thomas was responsible for the first two points of the Screaming Eagle's season, after scoring two aces against Valparaiso to begin her college career. Wright was the next freshman to make a difference in her debut, tallying four kills from the right side in the first set.

OVC Player to Watch, junior outside hitter Ashby Willis shined in the second set, leading the court with seven kills. The Eagle defense held the Beacons to their lowest hitting percentage of the game at .184, by tallying 20 digs. Sophomore Kerigan Fehr (7) and Senior libero Keira Moore (6) led the effort from the back line.

Thomas maintained a consistent offense, dishing out 11 assists. She connected on four kills with Willis, and three each to her middles senior Bianca Anderson and junior middle hitter McKenzie Murphy.
 
For the match, Thomas made significant impact in her debut game, leading the court with 33 assists. Willis finished the match with 14 kills, hitting .324 percent. As a team the Screaming Eagles' defense picked up more digs than Valpo 51-46.
 
The Screaming Eagles started strong against a dynamic Saint Louis team. In a back and forth start, USI pushed to 15 points first. Wright continued her solid debut with three kills in the first set, led by Willis marking four.

McKenzie Murphy got on the board, connecting on two kills from the middle. In her first time in a USI libero jersey, sophomore Audrey Small tallied six digs in the second set keeping the SLU offense to their lowest hitting percentage of the game (.212).

USI fought their way back from a seven-point deficit in the third, keeping the final score within two points. Anderson, Wright, and Willis led the offense, each landing three kills.

For USI's second match of the day, Wright beat out her previous game best for kills that she set earlier against Valpo, finishing with nine. The team combined for 32 kills, 44 digs, and 27 assists, in a hard-fought loss against the Billikens.

QUINNIPIAC 3, WESTERN ILLINOIS 0
PEORIA, Ill. - The Western Illinois Volleyball team fell in three close sets against the Quinnipiac Bobcats on Friday at the Renaissance Coliseum.

The first set was close, with Quinnipiac leading 10-9 before Kiyah Franklin's kill evened the score at 10. Elizabeth Ziegler tied the score again at 17-17, and Kennedy Adair's kill moments later gave a 19-18 lead. Cruse delivered two kills to push the Leathernecks into the lead at 23-21, but a 4-0 run by the Bobcats helped them take the first set 25-23.

The Leathernecks carried their energy into the second set, gaining an early 7-2 lead with kills from Adair, Cruse, Franklin, and Estes. The Bobcats fought back, tying the score 13-13, and from there, neither team led by more than two points. The Leathernecks tied the set at 22-22 with kills from Cruse and Kremer. Quinnipiac took the second set 27-25.

The Leathernecks jumped ahead halfway through the set, with a pair of kills from Cruse and Ziegler giving WIU a 14-10 advantage. Quinnipiac tied the set at 21-21. The Leathernecks fought tough in the final stretch of set three with kills from Cruse and Franklin, but Quinnipiac took set three 26-24.

Keyana Cruse led the Leatherneck offense with a match-high 15 kills and a .371 hitting percentage. Kennedy Adair added seven kills to go along with her 13 digs.

The Leathernecks hit .233 as a team and limited Quinnipiac to a .212 percentage. The Leathernecks also finished with 12 blocks. Hillary Estes led with four, with Grace Kremer, Elizabeth Ziegler, and Kiyah Franklin each recording two. Defensively, the Leathernecks collected a total of 55 digs. Grace Ulatowski led the way with 18, while Kennedy Adair followed closely with 13.

MOREHEAD STATE 3, ST. JOHN'S 0
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Morehead State volleyball team opened their 2025 campaign with a sweep over St. John's in the opener of the Cardinal Classic at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena in Louisville Saturday.

MSU (1-0) used an efficient attack and a stout net presence to turn back St. John's (0-1) 25-21, 25-19, 25-23. MSU was a force at the net, tallying 15 blocks to just three for the Red Storm. Hollan Everett and Amelia Nott led the way with six blocks apiece. Everett added 14 kills on 32 swings for a .344 percentage

M.E. Hargan led the Eagle attack with 16 kills on 35 swings for a .400 attack percentage. She added a team-high 13 digs for her first double-double of the year.

After taking the first two sets, Morehead State got on top quickly in the third set with Sarah Heath getting a kill and a block solo to put the Eagles up 2-0. MSU used a six-point run to get ahead 10-4. St. John's battled back with a 9-1 run to go ahead 13-11. The two squads traded blows with the Eagles getting the clincher on senior Sarah Heath's eighth kill of the afternoon.

The Eagles got off to a good start. Led by M.E. Hargan's eight opening-set kills and Hollan Everett with five, the Eagles won the first set over the Red Storm 25-21. MSU hit for a .405 attack percentage in the opening frame and tallied six blocks to two for St. John's

MSU kept up the momentum in the second set. Hargan drew first blood with her ninth kill of the match and the Eagles never trailed in the frame. Freshman Kennedy Tinch sealed the set with her second service ace of the match to give the Eagles a 25-19 set win. The Eagles slugged a .345 attack percentage in the set to -.061 for St. John's. The Eagles were again stout at the net; they turned away six blocks to two for SJU in the frame.