By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
OZARK, Mo. – All 10 University of Tennessee at Martin beach volleyball players who took part in today’s first two matches of the 2023 campaign went a perfect 2-0 as the Skyhawks soared to dominant sweeps over Hendrix College and McKendree at the indoor Volleyball Beach Ozark facility.
UT Martin stuck with the same lineup for both matches today and it paid off in a big way. Kambree Lucas and Olivia Keefe represented the Skyhawks at No. 1 and was followed by Lucy Kaufman/Dylan Mott (No. 2), Kayla Bryant/Addy Vaughn (No. 3), Kayla Carrell/Haeleigh Paulino (No. 4) and Ryan Rednour/Jenna Vallée in the No. 5 slot.
In the true season opener against Hendrix College, Lucas and O’Keefe were tested the most but UT Martin’s top pair secured a 21-17, 17-21, 15-9 victory. Kaufman/Mott teamed up for a 21-15, 21-14 victory while Bryant won her collegiate debut alongside Vaughn (21-17, 21-15). Carrell/Paulino coasted to a 21-16, 21-14 victory while Rednour/Vallée came away with a 21-16, 21-15 triumph.
After about a four-hour break inbetween matches, the Skyhawks showed no signs of sluggishness against McKendree. Lucas/O’Keefe generated a 21-15, 21-8 victory while Kaufman/Mott throttled their opposition by a 21-11, 21-8 margin. Bryant/Vaughn cruised to a 21-6, 22-20 win while Carrell/Paulino were responsible for a commanding 21-8, 21-11 triumph. Rednour/Vallée additionally found the winner’s column after a 21-13, 21-13 victory.
The University of Tennessee at Martin beach volleyball squad posted their third straight sweep to start the 2023 season against Oklahoma Wesleyan this morning before a heartbreaking 3-2 setback to Missouri State that included three matchups going into a tiebreaking third set.
Six Skyhawks went undefeated on the day as Kayla Bryant/Addy Vaughn went 2-0 at No. 3, Ryan Rednour/Jenna Vallée collected a 2-0 record while playing at both No. 4 and No. 5 and Brooke Kuball/Kristin Phillips won their season debut at No. 5 against Oklahoma Wesleyan.
UT Martin was never threatened against Oklahoma Wesleyan, holding the opposition to 12 or fewer points in all 10 sets. Kambree Lucas/Olivia O’Keefe earned a 21-10, 21-7 victory at No. 1 while Lucy Kaufman/Dylan Mott came away with a 21-12, 21-9 win at No. 2. Bryant/Vaughn put together a dominant 25-1, 21-6 victory while Rednour/Vallée nabbed a 21-4, 21-9 win out of the No. 4 spot. Officially competing for the first time as a pair, Kuball/Phillips generated a 21-7, 21-11 victory.
The second match of the day was much tighter as ultimately Missouri State won two of the aforementioned three-set decisions to claim the victory. Bryant/Vaughn moved to 4-0 on the season after a 21-10, 21-17 win while Rednour/Vallée outlasted their competitors by a 21-16, 13-21, 15-13 margin out of the No. 5 position. After Kayla Carrell/Haeleigh Paulino were defeated 21-13, 21-13 at No. 4 in their first match of the day, the Skyhawks won the first set at both No. 1 and No. 2 but could not close out the win. Lucas/O’Keefe fell 16-21, 21-16, 15-10 out of the top spot while Kaufman/Mott were defeated at No. 2 by scores of 17-21, 21-17, 15-8.
UT Martin returns to Ozark, Mo. next weekend for another two-day tournament hosted by Missouri State. The Skyhawks will face Eastern Kentucky and Missouri State on Friday, March 3 before battling McKendree and Southwest Baptist on March 4.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information