Ohio Valley Conference

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Tennessee Tech closed out Kendall's Battle at the Capital Credit Union Class Saturday with a 3-0 loss to Western Michigan.

Bella Powell led the Golden Eagles with nine kills, while Jordan Karlen had 21 assists, 10 digs and three assisted blocks to go along with seven kills.

Keeley Culler led the Broncos (3-10) with nine kills, while Annalise Patchett had eight. Leah Richmond tallied 27 assists as Elana Erickson collected 17 digs and Amanda Glanton three assisted blocks to lead Western Michigan.

The first set as a tense affair as neither team took more than a two-point lead until the waning moments. Following a 13-13 tie, Western Michigan climbed out to 22-17 and maintained its advantage until the set ended at 25-20.

The second set was tied at 2-2, but the Broncos pulled away for a 25-13 win in the game with only seven kills in the set. The Golden Eagles were called for 11 attack errors, four service errors and three reception errors in the second with four WMU blocks.

In the third, the teams battled to 10 ties with everything all square as late as 21-21. Culler and Mia Jurkovic added kills to make it 23-21 with an unsuccessful Tech challenge, then the Broncos forced match point on an attack error. Sarah Noto and Audrey Berkebile added a kill and a block to make it 24-23 until a service error ended the match for the Broncos.

MERCER 3, UT MARTIN 1
MACON, Ga. - Kylie Surratt led the University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team in kills for the third time in as many matches at the Mercer Invitational but the Skyhawks fell in four sets (23-25, 25-19, 13-25, 18-25) to tournament host Mercer.

The sophomore from Maryland Heights, Mo. tallied 11 kills on a .300 hitting percentage (just two errors in 30 swings) while also snaring a team-best eight digs. Kayla Bryant came close to a double-double with nine kills, a team-high eight digs and match-best four service aces while Maddy Gladson (.300 attack percentage) and Carly Mueller each had eight kills apiece for UT Martin.

Ava Peters was responsible for 32 assists and six digs to go along with career-highs of two service aces and four blocks. Kristin Phillips (match-best four blocks) and Abby Freund (seven digs) also helped pace the Skyhawk defensive attack today.

The opening set included 16 tie scores and six lead changes. Surratt got going early with a pair of kills before a Bryant service ace made the score 7-5 in UT Martin's favor. The action continued back-and-forth before a Mueller kill plus a block assist from Phillips and Gladson gave the Skyhawks a 21-19 advantage. UT Martin led as late as 23-22 but the Bears scored the final three points of the set. Surratt (four kills), Peters (10 assists) and Bryant (two service aces) led the Skyhawks in the first set.

UT Martin never trailed in the second stanza as a Peters service ace and Gladson kill helped the Skyhawks take a 4-1 lead. Gladson powered through for three kills in a five-point stretch before a Makaelah Paulino service ace extended UT Martin's advantage out to 18-12. Back-to-back kills from Surratt and Mueller pushed the Skyhawk lead out to 23-16 before a solo block from Mueller clinched set point and evened the match at 1-all. Gladson (.800 hitting percentage) and Surratt (.400) each had four kills in the second set for UT Martin.

A Surratt kill opened the scoring in the third set but Mercer bounced back to take an 8-3 lead. Bryant (kill) and Phillips (service ace) soon got the Skyhawks back on track before an assisted block by Phillips and Chyler Martin moved UT Martin back within striking distance late. However, the Bears ended the third set with seven of the final eight points. Phillips topped the Skyhawks in third-set points with a kill, a service ace and two blocks.

Mercer led 5-2 in the fourth stanza before back-to-back kills from Bryant. The Bears then tallied 10 unanswered points until a DyYanna Wade kill ended UT Martin's scoring drought. Bryant then tacked on two service aces and a kill during a 6-0 Skyhawk surge. A Gladson kill pulled UT Martin back within four points (20-16) but that was ultimately as close as the Skyhawks would get the rest of the way. Bryant accounted for seven points (five kills, two service aces) in the final set alone.

EAST TEXAS A&M 3, LINDENWOOD 2
CORALVILLE, Iowa - The Lindenwood women's volleyball team (4-3, 0-0 OVC) dropped a tough five set battle against East Texas A&M (1-9, 0-0 Southland) at the Hawkeye Invitational on Saturday afternoon. The loss comes despite LU out-hitting and out-blocking ETAMU in the contest.

The Lions never led in the opening frame, as East Texas A&M took a 25-21 win to go up 1-0 in the match. Jade Roth led the Lions with three kills in the set. Lindenwood responded in set two with a convincing 25-19 win to even the match. Ashley Geluck fronted the LU attack with six kills in the frame.

The Lions carried the momentum into set three and led by as many as six points before staving off a late ETAMU rally to take a 25-22 victory. Ashley Geluck continued to lead LU in scoring with five more kills while Meghan Donoghue dished out 14 assists in the set, helping the Lions to a team hitting percentage of .262.

However, East Texas A&M regrouped for set four and jumped out to an early 9-4 lead. Lindenwood answered back with an 11-4 run to even the match at 13 apiece, but ETAMU immediately countered with a 7-1 run that put them in the lead for good. Autumn Bax led the Lions with four kills on a .571 hitting percentage in the set.

In the deciding set, East Texas A&M pounced out to another early lead that Lindenwood was unable to overcome, as they fell 15-11 to drop the match in five.

Three Lions posted double digit kill performances, led by Ashley Geluck with a match-high 16 terminations. She was joined by Autumn Bax with 15 kills and Jade Roth with 12 kills.

Geluck also added four blocks and three service aces to bring her scoring total to 21.5 points.

Meghan Donoughue ended the match with 48 assists, averaging just under 10 assists per set (9.60). She added 14 digs for her third double-double performance of the season.

Dana Grib led Lindenwood in digs with a total of 27 for an average of 5.40 digs per set. Also with double digit digs were Alayna Rudebeck (14) and Izzy Herrbold (10).

XAVIER 3, MOREHEAD STATE 1
CINCINNATI, Ohio - Morehead State battled a strong Xavier attack and fell 3-1 in the Cintas Center in Cincinnati Saturday.

The set scores were (22-25), (16-25), (29-27) and (19-25).

Morehead State (6-5) was led by M.E. Hargin who tied her season-high with 22 kills, hitting .300. Hollan Everett notched 13 terminations and Sarah Heath finished with a career high 12 kills on a career high 39 attacks. Heath also added two Block Assists.

Xavier (11-1) had four players post double-digit kills, led by Ava Tilden who posted a career high with 17 and hit .452. Emma Grace slammed 16, Margo Kemp had 11 and Anna Taylor finished with 10.

The Eagles led from the jump in the first set. A 3-0 run put MSU up 18-14 capped by a service ace by Sydney Sennett. The teams traded 3-0 runs and the Eagles led 21-17. Xavier responded with a six-point run to take their first lead and extend to 23-21. Xavier closed out the set 25-22. Xavier posted a .386 hitting percentage in frame, while MSU hit .208.

Xavier never trailed in the second set using another strong attack. An early four-point run put the Musketeers up 9-5, and a five-point run stretched the lead out to 14-7. The Musketeers hit .353 in the set and were stout at the net holding the Eagles to a .098 hitting percentage and recording three blocks in the frame.

Morehead State opened the third set with a three-point run and led through the opening stages of the set. Xavier used a four-point run to take the lead 10-9. The traded points and the score was tied at every digit between 18 and 27. The Eagles closed out the set on Hargan's 19th kill of the match. There were 15 tie scores and eight lead changes in the set.

The fourth set was tight early with ties on points on the first five digits. With MSU up 5-4, the Musketeers went on a 6-0 run highlighted by three kills by Tilden to take the lead 10-5. The Eagles chipped away and got to within a point at 16-17. Xavier ran off four straight points to extend the lead to 21-16 and closed out the set 25-19.

SAINT LOUIS 3, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2
ST. LOUIS - Southeast Missouri Volleyball (7-5) fell in a tense five-set match at Chaifetz Pavilion on Saturday afternoon to Saint Louis (8-3) by a final score of 3-2 with scores of 25-20, 25-21, 19-25, 16-25, and 14-16. The Redhawks concluded the Missouri Challenge with a 2-1 overall record, with wins over Kansas City and Missouri State. 

Southeast Mo. St. secured the set with a 25-20 win over Saint Louis. Lucy Arndt led Southeast Mo. St. with four kills, contributing significantly to the team's offense. Marin Johnson recorded a service ace, aiding Southeast Mo. St.'s momentum during the set. Southeast Mo. St. capitalized on Saint Louis errors, particularly with five attack errors from the home team. Saint Louis's Tamia Maddox contributed four kills but was unable to close the gap.  

Southeast Mo. St. opened the set with a 3-0 lead, including a service ace by Nina Schuberth. Alaina Lester contributed with two key kills, helping SEMO maintain their lead. Arndt played a pivotal role with four kills in the set, leading to a 25-21 victory for SEMO. Ramiri Gardner and Avery Torrey each added a kill, driving SEMO's offensive push. SEMO capitalized on Saint Louis' service errors, securing critical points.

Southeast Mo. St. began the set with a 3-0 lead, capitalizing on attack errors by Saint Louis. Johnson contributed significantly for Southeast Mo. St. with multiple kills, including a crucial one to tie the set at 14-14. Ellie Rink of Saint Louis was instrumental, recording several kills, including the final point to seal the set 25-19. Tea Kalajdzic added key points for Saint Louis with multiple kills during their scoring run.

Johnson delivered three kills for Southeast Mo. St. Saint Louis' Rink contributed four kills, boosting the home team's attack. Alivia Bronner recorded two service aces for Saint Louis, adding pressure on the visiting team. Southeast Mo. St. managed to narrow the gap with a service ace from Schuberth to make it 15-19. Kalajdzic of Saint Louis secured two kills, maintaining the home team's momentum.

Southeast Mo. St. opened with a 5-1 lead, aided by a service ace from Megan Holder. Johnson contributed with back-to-back kills to push Southeast Mo. St. ahead 10-8. Saint Louis rallied from a deficit, with Rink and Jetta Brenning combining for a series of kills that tied the score at 10-10. The set saw multiple lead changes, with the score tied at 14-14 before Saint Louis secured the final points with two consecutive kills by Rink.

CHATTANOOGA 3, TENNESSEE STATE 0
NASHVILLE - Tennessee State showed stretches of fight but came up short against Chattanooga, falling in three sets (13-25, 19-25, 14-25) Saturday afternoon at Kean Hall.

Maygan Miller-Garcia led the Tigers with seven kills, while Erini Bitsaktsi anchored the defense with a match-high 12 digs. Senior setter Sagaia Reilly continued to pace the offense with 13 assists, and libero Sydni Poston added two aces from the service line.

Miller-Garcia posted a .350 hitting percentage, finishing with just two errors on her seven kills.

Reilly has now recorded double-digit assists in all 11 matches this season, adding 13 more Saturday.

Bitsaktsi's 12 digs pushed her season total to 101, eclipsing the 100-dig mark.

Poston has served at least one ace in three straight matches, including two against Chattanooga.

TSU tallied 24 kills as a team, spreading the offense across six different players.

Chattanooga pulled away midway through the first frame, as TSU dropped the opener 25-13 despite early ties at 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5.

The Tigers responded with their best stretch of the afternoon, keeping the second set tight before falling 25-19. TSU trailed by just one point at 13-12 before the Mocs edged ahead.

Chattanooga secured the sweep with a 25-14 win in the final frame. Tennessee State battled defensively but was unable to erase an early deficit.

#22 MISSOURI 3, WESTERN ILLINOIS 0
MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois volleyball put together a strong opening frame and hung with SEC opponent Missouri before ultimately falling in straight sets on Saturday afternoon inside Western Hall. The Leathernecks continue their season with a record 3-10.

The Leathernecks came out energized in front of their home crowd, jumping to a quick 3-0 lead after a service ace from Jaleah Bauss and back-to-back blocks from Hillary Estes and Kennedy Adair. WIU extended its cushion to 7-2 following kills from Kiyah Franklin and Cruse, forcing Missouri into an early timeout.

The Tigers responded with a string of service aces, but the Leathernecks continued to punch back. Grace Kremer and Cruse combined for a block to push WIU ahead 10-8, and Franklin added a kill off a Bauss assist to keep momentum rolling. Missouri surged back to tie at 15-15, and from there, the two teams traded points in a thrilling finish.

Adair delivered clutch kills late, and Cruse tied the set at 23-23 with a swing from the right side. On set point down 24-23, Adair again came through to even the score, but Missouri closed out the frame with a kill and a service ace to narrowly take it 26-24.

The second set saw the Tigers' serving pressure take over. Missouri opened on a 6-0 run before Adair stopped the streak with a kill. Franklin and Grace Ulatowski chipped in kills midway through the set, while Bauss notched another assist and a service ace. Defensively, Karlie Lane and Cruse continued to battle in the back row, combining for multiple digs to keep rallies alive.

Despite the Leathernecks' effort, Missouri's front line controlled the net, piling up eight blocks in the set and holding WIU to five kills. The Tigers pulled away to take it 25-9 and go up 2-0 in the match.

WIU looked to regroup in the third, and Ulatowski provided a spark with a kill early on. Cruse followed with her sixth kill of the match, while Franklin added another off a set from Bauss. Adair and Kremer combined for a block to slow down Missouri, and Bauss capped her day with her second service ace.

Still, Missouri continued to apply pressure from the service line, finishing with four aces in the frame. The Tigers' offense hit .520 in the set, using a balanced attack to close out the match 25-11.

LITTLE ROCK 3, ORAL ROBERTS 0
TULSA 3, LITTLE ROCK 0
TULSA, Okla. - Little Rock swept one match and pushed the host team to the limit in the finale to earn a Saturday split and return home winning two of three during the Tulsa Invitational at the Donald W. Reynolds Center. 

The Trojans (5-7) swept Oral Roberts (1-10) in straight sets with scores of 25-15, 25-22, and 25-15, and went blow for blow with a strong Tulsa (10-2) squad, falling by scores of 25-23, 25-22, and 25-23. Outside hitters Bella Cherry and Crismeyli Rodriguez were named to the All-Tournament Team.
 
The Trojans hit .223 during the match against ORU, led by Cherry with 10 kills. Sophia Garrido had eight kills and three blocks, Rodriguez finished with 10 digs and eight kills, and Dariana Valencia had 20 assists and a pair of aces. Avery Fearnley added four blocks, three kills, and two aces, while Kaylee Smith finished with 14 assists.
 
The Trojans turned in one of their best hitting performances of the year (.289) in an explosive offensive showdown. A'lanae Margaritha hit .556 while putting down 12 kills and Cherry posted a .379 mark with 13 kills to go with 10 digs. Rodriguez (11 digs, 9 kills), Valencia (24 assists), Smith (15 assists), and Andrea Roman (12 digs) were key contributors. Jaycee Kennedy had a game-high five blocks.

SOUTHERN INDIANA 3, EVANSVILLE 1
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Volleyball sweeps the series against University of Evansville, to take the first annual Battle of the Lloyd win in four sets.

The Screaming Eagles fought back from a seven-point deficit (14-7) to take the first set. Junior Ashby Willis led the court with seven kills, hitting a .312 percent, with just two errors. Three different Eagles landed a service ace to help swing the momentum.

The Purple Aces took the lead quickly in the second set, gaining a six-point advantage halfway through. The Eagles put up six blocks at the net and picked up 21 digs to fight off UE's offensive moves. UE picked up 22 digs to keep the Eagles in a negative hitting percentage and took the set win.

Sophomore Aurdrey Small made the difference in the third set, picking up 10 digs. Willis tallied another four kills, followed by freshman Carley Wright with three on the right side. The Eagles hit for their best hitting percentage at .217, keeping their errors to just three for the set.

The final set was a battle to the very end, with USI going into extra points to close it out, ending with a kill from setter Aysa Thomas. Willis recorded five kills to help swing the offense at the net. The defense put up four more blocks, bringing the total at the net to 12 total for a team season-high.

For the game, Willis tallied 17 kills, and Coleman followed with 10. Thomas recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 34 assists and 15 digs. Four Eagles picked up double-digit digs, led by Small who finished with 20.

MICHIGAN STATE 3, SIUE 1
EAST LANSING, Mich. - SIUE closed out the Kathy DeBower Invitational with a hard-fought four-set match against Big Ten opponent Michigan State, falling 25-14,25-19,20-25,25-14.
 
The Cougar fell to 5-6 on the season, while the Spartans improved to 10-0.
 
After dropping the first two sets, the Cougars responded in the third. SIUE's defense forced Michigan State into errors while the offense found its rhythm, securing a 25-20 win to extend the match.
 
SIUE's balanced effort produced 42 kills on 125 attempts, along with five aces, five blocks and 35 assists. Michigan State countered with a strong performance, finishing with 55 kills, 12 aces, 13 blocks and 52 assists.
 
Kennedy Pike led the Cougar offense recording 10 kills with a .231 hitting percentage. Ally Hughes directed the attack with 18 assists and tied her career-high four service aces.