By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
OZARK, Mo. – The wins were evenly distributed today for the University of Tennessee at Martin beach volleyball team as 10 different Skyhawks notched a victory on the first day of a tournament hosted by Missouri State. UT Martin began its day with a 4-1 triumph over Eastern Kentucky before falling 4-1 to Missouri State.
Overall, six different pair combinations were on display for the Skyhawks today. The team of Lucy Kaufman/Addy Vaughn went undefeated on the day but only competed alongside each other during the Eastern Kentucky match.
In the first match of the day, UT Martin secured wins in the No. 2 through No. 5 slots. Dylan Mott/Logan Wallick made their season debut together at No. 2 and produced a 21-15, 21-15 victory. Kaufman/Vaughn claimed a 21-17, 21-18 win at No. 3 while Kayla Carrell/Haeleigh Paulino earned a 21-11, 21-19 triumph out of the No. 4 position. The Skyhawks’ final victory of the match came at No. 5 as the duo of Ryan Rednour/Jenna Vallée outlasted their competition by a 21-15, 19-21, 15-10 margin.
Kambree Lucas/Olivia O’Keefe joined forces once again out of the No. 1 spot but fell 21-10, 21-19 against Eastern Kentucky.
Four of the five matchups in the Missouri State matchup went into decisive third sets. Lucas/O’Keefe overcame an early hole to bounce back for a 19-21, 21-16, 15-6 victory at No. 2.
However, that was the only decision that would go UT Martin’s way in the nightcap. Kayla Bryant/Vaughn fell 21-15, 16-21, 17-15 at No. 3 while Carrell/Paulino (13-21, 21-16, 16-14 margin at No. 4) and Rednour/Vallée (21-18, 10-21, 15-10 at No. 5) were narrowly edged out.
In the top spot, Mott/Wallick battled throughout but fell 21-17, 21-16.
The University of Tennessee at Martin beach volleyball squad improved to 6-2 overall after a pair of 5-0 sweeps today, downing McKendree and Southwest Baptist on the last day of the Missouri State tournament.
A total of 11 Skyhawks played today and each one went undefeated over the course of the day. As a result, UT Martin defeated McKendree for the second time in eight days and beat Southwest Baptist in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Against McKendree, Kambree Lucas/Olivia O’Keefe registered a 21-8, 21-10 win at No. 1 while Lucy Kaufman/Dylan Mott earned a 21-8, 21-4 triumph out of the No. 2 position. Kayla Bryant/Addy Vaughn posted a 21-12, 21-8 victory out of the No. 3 slot while Kayla Carrell/Jenna Vallée teamed up for the first time all season for a 21-8, 21-12 win at No. 4. Haeleigh Paulino/Ryan Rednour also joined forces for the first time in 2023 and came away with a 21-16, 21-8 triumph out of the No. 5 position.
Mott/Logan Wallick filled the No. 1 slot against Southwest Baptist, earning a come-from-behind 16-21, 21-12, 15-12 victory. Lucas/O’Keefe claimed a 21-14, 21-11 win at No. 2 while Kaufman/Vaughn accounted for a 21-18, 21-10 triumph at No. 3. Bryant/Carrell secured a 21-9, 21-11 win in their first partnership of the spring at No. 4 while Paulino/Rednour generated a 21-11, 21-8 win out of the No. 5 position.
The Skyhawks will take an 11-day break before their next matches. UT Martin will make the short trip to North Alabama for a double dual on Wednesday, March 15 at noon and 2 p.m.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information