PHILLIPS SHINES BUT UT MARTIN VOLLEYBALL DROPS FOUR-SET DECISION TO JACKSONVILLE STATE

Friday, October 5

Martin, Tenn.

6 P.M.

UT Martin

8-11 (2-4OVC)

Jacksonville State

10-9 (3-3OVC)

Jacksonville State

UT Martin

PHILLIPS SHINES BUT UT MARTIN VOLLEYBALL DROPS FOUR-SET DECISION TO JACKSONVILLE STATE

10/5/2018 9:33:00 PM | Volleyball

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MARTIN, Tenn. – Junior Hannah Phillips established a career-high in kills this evening but the University of Tennessee at Martin could not solve Jacksonville State as the Skyhawks fell in four sets (21-25, 26-24, 17-25, 24-26) in Ohio Valley Conference volleyball action.

Phillips pounded 15 kills – one more than her previous career-high of 14 set against Memphis earlier this season. The Orient, Ohio native hit a sizzling .464 tonight, committing oly two attack errors in 28 attempts.

Karen Scanlon also guided UT Martin (8-11, 2-4 OVC) with 12 kills against just one error in 22 swings, tallying an even .500 attack percentage. Kenzie Hinshaw (24) and Maddi Noble (20) combined for 44 assists for a Skyhawk offense that hit .254 for the match.

On the defensive side, Brooke Gyori scooped up 12 digs while the duo of Justine Walker (seven blocks) and Gintare Mackeviciute (five blocks) enforced the net for UT Martin.

The Skyhawks scored three of the first four points of the match but Jacksonville State (10-9, 3-3 OVC) soon went ahead by an 11-8 margin. Four consecutive Gamecock errors led to a tie at 15-all before Jacksonville State recovered for a 21-18 advantage. A Rys kill helped UT Martin pull back to within a single point (21-20) but the Gamecocks ended the set on a 4-1 run. Phillips claimed four kills to lead the Skyhawks in the first stanza.

UT Martin trailed 7-3 in the second set but soon surged ahead after a 6-1 run that included a kill and two solo blocks from Mackeviciute. From that point forward, neither side would lead by more than two points as 17 ties and five lead changes were exchanged. After the match was knotted at 24-all, Mackeviciute delivered a kill and Jacksonville State followed with an attack error to even the match at 1-1. Noble secured team-highs of eight assists and three digs in the set for the Skyhawks.

After UT Martin took a 5-3 lead to start off the third stanza, the Gamecocks scored six of the next seven points to take a 9-6 advantage. Back-to-back kills by Reynolds and Scanlon tilted the score back in favor of the Skyhawks at 10-9 but Jacksonville State responded with an 8-2 run. UT Martin closed back within three points at 17-14 but that was ultimately as close as it would get the rest of the way. Scanlon's (four kills in seven swings) paced the Skyhawks in the set.

The Gamecocks were threatened but never trailed in the fourth set, storming out to a 7-3 lead. Phillips dialed up three consecutive kills for UT Martin but Jacksonville State was able to keep a sizable lead at 20-16. Addison Conley, Phillips (two) and Mackeviciute combined for four straight kills before a solo Walker block evened the score at 24-all. However, the Gamecocks came right back with back-to-back points to wrap up the match. Phillips nearly had half (six) of the Skyhawks' 14 kills in the final set.

UT Martin heads back on the road for its next two matches, which will be midweek OVC contests. The Skyhawks take on Morehead State on Wednesday, Oct. 10 before squaring off against Eastern Kentucky on Thursday, Oct. 11.