Thursday 28th March 2024
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UT Martin Volleyball Falls in 4 Sets to Southeast Missouri

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By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director

 

MARTIN, Tenn. – Last night’s volleyball match got off to a good start for the University of Tennessee at Martin but the Skyhawks fell victim to a Southeast Missouri comeback in a 3-1 loss (25-16, 20-25, 18-25, 21-25).

The setback snapped UT Martin’s six-match winning streak and was also the Skyhawks’ first home loss of the 2021 campaign.

Karen Scanlon (team-high 14 kills, 12 digs) and Haeleigh Paulino (23 assists, 16 digs) each recorded double-doubles for UT Martin, who is 10-11 overall with a 6-2 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play.

Offensively, Logan Wallick (12 kills on a .391 hitting percentage) and Zoe Merriweather (10 kills on a .333 attack percentage) had strong performances while Addy Vaughn distributed 17 assists. Baillie Kearns shared the team lead with Paulino with 16 digs while Kayla Carrell tied a career-high with 13 scoops. Addison Conley (nine kills, six digs, team-high three blocks) additionally compiled a solid stat line for the Skyhawks.

Not much could go wrong for UT Martin in the opening set as the Skyhawks led by as many as a dozen points. Paulino and Carrell each had a service ace during a match-opening 6-1 UT Martin run. The Redhawks (15-5, 6-2 OVC) closed the gap to two points but the Skyhawks scored five straight points to begin a 12-3 run. A block assist by Olivia Saunders and Scanlon closed the surge and made the score 19-8 in favor of UT Martin. Southeast Missouri went on a 6-1 run late but it wasn’t enough as a Conley kill helped spur the Skyhawks’ final push. Paulino had three service aces, seven assists and four digs to lead UT Martin in the first stanza.

The Redhawks scored four of the first five points of the second set, eventually taking a 9-4 advantage before back-to-back kills out of Olivia Lucia and Wallick. Scanlon and Conley both had two kills during a four-point Skyhawk span before Merriweather caught fire, dialing up three kills in the span of four UT Martin points. Kills by Scanlon on back-to-back possessions whittled the Skyhawk deficit to 22-19 but Southeast Missouri managed to even the match at 1-1. Scanlon provided seven kills in only seven attempts in the second set as UT Martin hit .375 (16 kills, four errors) in 32 swings.

Although the Redhawks posted the first three points, the score was tight for most of the third set. The Skyhawk duo of Conley and Scanlon each put down three kills during a nine-point span to pull UT Martin within a single point at 15-14. However, Southeast Missouri was responsible for 10 of the final 14 points of the set on its way to taking a 2-1 lead. Scanlon tallied team-highs of four kills and four digs in the third set.

The fourth stanza included five tie scores and two lead changes as the Skyhawks battled to extend the match but could not find any luck. Scanlon collected three early kills before a Conley service ace gave UT Martin a 7-6 advantage. Following an 8-2 Redhawk run, the Skyhawks unreeled four consecutive points – bookended by kills from Scanlon and Merriweather – to cut the Redhawk lead to 15-14. Southeast Missouri answered with a 4-0 run but UT Martin once again made it close as a trio of Merriweather kills in a four-point stretch whittled the Redhawk lead to 21-19. However, Southeast Missouri scored the next three points and the Skyhawks wouldn’t get any closer than three points the rest of the way. Merriweather (five kills) and Kearns (eight digs) topped UT Martin in the final set.

The Skyhawks now go on the road for their next four contests, starting with a weekend series at Morehead State. First serve times are scheduled for 5 p.m. CST on Friday, Oct. 15 and 10 a.m. CST on Saturday, Oct. 16.

 

Graphic Courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information

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