By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
For the first time since 2002, the University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball squad is 4-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play as the Skyhawks downed Southeast Missouri in four sets (25-19, 30-28, 17-25, 25-19) Friday evening.
UT Martin (10-7, 4-0 OVC) had many heroes in a showdown between two of the last three remaining undefeated teams in league play. Logan Wallick produced a match-high 16 kills on a .306 hitting percentage and was joined by an effective all-around performance out of Karen Scanlon (12 kills, eight digs, six blocks). Haeleigh Paulino (20 assists, eight digs, match-high four service aces), Addy Vaughn (16 assists) and Hannah Haislip (five assists) shared duties at setter, keeping the Skyhawk offense clicking consistently.
Defensively, Dylan Mott piled up a team-best 17 digs and was joined in double figures in the dig column by Kambree Lucas (10) and Kayla Carrell (10). Mia Saenz became the second UT Martin freshman (first since 2017) to ever swat away double-digit blocks in a match as the middle blocker out of Lexington, Ky. had a hand in 10 rejections.
The Skyhawks scored the first three points of the match, setting the tone for the evening. Lucas and Angel Baylark chipped in two kills apiece as UT Martin claimed a 12-7 advantage. Scanlon managed a pair of kills soon thereafter to keep the Skyhawk lead at five points but a 6-2 Redhawk run pulled Southeast Missouri within a point at 20-19. UT Martin responded right back with five unanswered points, capped off by a block assist from Wallick and Saenz to put the Skyhawks on top by a 1-0 margin. Wallick had four kills in seven swings (.571 hitting percentage) for UT Martin offense that hit .333 with only two errors in the opening set.
The second set was a true back-and-forth affair as there were 19 ties and nine lead changes. Kills from Lucas and Scanlon spurred a 4-0 Skyhawk run early but neither side would open up a lead larger than two points for the duration of the stanza. An assisted block from Scanlon and Saenz capped off a separate 4-2 surge for UT Martin but the Redhawks soon went ahead by a 21-19 margin. The Skyhawks answered with a 4-0 run before a kill by Scanlon – in the midst of four kills in the span of five UT Martin points – gave the squad set point at 24-22. However, Southeast Missouri scored the next three points and had set point on four separate occasions. The Skyhawks kept battling, fueled by a crazy run from Wallick – who slammed down three kills in the final four points to nudge UT Martin ahead 2-0 in the match. Wallick (seven) and Scanlon (six) combined for 13 of the Skyhawks’ 18 kills in the set while Mott recorded seven digs.
UT Martin came out hot in the third set as a Carrell service ace capped off a 6-1 Skyhawk advantage. The Redhawks completely flipped the momentum after a 17-4 run that resulted in an 18-10 deficit for UT Martin. Wallick put together back-to-back kills to ignite a 5-2 run and get the Skyhawks back to within striking distance at 20-15. Ultimately, that would be as close as UT Martin would get as Southeast Missouri avoided the sweep. Wallick notched three kills to guide the Skyhawk offense.
The Redhawks (7-8, 2-1 OVC) tried their best to extend the match, scoring the first five points en route to a 14-9 lead in the fourth set. Haislip checked in to the match for the first time after UT Martin trailed 12-8 and she soon made her presence felt. The redshirt freshman setter out of Gates, Tenn. guided the Skyhawks along a 7-0 run, posting four assists and a kill during that stretch. UT Martin then turned up the heat defensively, posting blocks on four straight points to push its lead out to 19-16. Southeast Missouri wouldn’t get any closer than two points the rest of the way as the Skyhawks held on for an impressive triumph. Mott and Saenz were key contributors in the final stanza with seven digs and four blocks, respectively.
Karen Scanlon came away with her fifth double-double of the 2022 campaign Saturday afternoon but the University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team fell in three sets (24-26, 19-25, 21-25) to Southeast Missouri at Skyhawk Fieldhouse.
Scanlon’s double-double was the 21st of her illustrious career as the graduate from Scottsdale, Ariz. was responsible for 10 kills and 11 digs today. Dylan Mott collected a team-best 15 digs while Mia Saenz came away with a team-high five blocks for the Skyhawks, who are now 10-8 overall with a 4-1 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play.
There were 22 tie scores and six lead changes in the match, including nine ties in the opening set. An Angel Baylark kill made the score 6-2 in favor of UT Martin but the Redhawks kept trimming away at their deficit, eventually taking their first lead at 16-15. Back-to-back kills from Saenz guided the Skyhawks back on the right track before Baylark landed three kills in the span of four points. Saenz tacked on another kill to even the score at 24-all but Southeast Missouri tallied two straight kills to claim the opening set. The duo of Baylark and Saenz each posted four kills apiece while Mott scooped up six digs in the first stanza alone.
UT Martin once again started off well in the second set, thanks to a blazing stretch from Scanlon. She powered down four kills in the Skyhawks’ first six points as UT Martin claimed a 7-3 advantage. The Redhawks scored eight of the next 10 points to go on top by two points but two more Scanlon kills helped the Skyhawks knot the score at 13-13. Southeast Missouri went on a 6-2 run to create some separation but Baylark helped UT Martin battle back to within two points. However, the Redhawks registered five of the final six points to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Scanlon had six kills in 10 swings in the second set while also compiling a team-best eight digs.
The Skyhawks once again held a late lead in the third set but Southeast Missouri was able to mount a comeback. Five different UT Martin players (Saenz, Haeleigh Paulino, Kambree Lucas, Logan Wallick and Scanlon) accounted for the Skyhawks’ first five kills of the set. UT Martin called a timeout after facing a 16-13 deficit and gained some momentum with a 7-3 run. Leading by a 20-19 margin, the Skyhawks would unfortunately only notch one point the rest of the way as the Redhawks ended the contest on a 6-1 run. Saenz (three blocks) and Mott (five digs) were defensive enforcers for UT Martin in the third and final set.
UT Martin completes its four-match homestand next weekend when it hosts OVC newcomer Southern Indiana on Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information