SKYHAWK VOLLEYBALL POSTS VALIANT COMEBACK EFFORT BUT DROPS FIVE-SET DECISION AT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

Tuesday, September 17

Carbondale, Ill.

6 p.m.

UT Martin

3-8

Southern Illinois

6-5

UT Martin

Southern Illinois

SKYHAWK VOLLEYBALL POSTS VALIANT COMEBACK EFFORT BUT DROPS FIVE-SET DECISION AT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

9/17/2019 10:09:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score PDF

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Down two sets to none, the University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team dug deep to force a fifth set this evening at Southern Illinois but the Skyhawks were dealt a heartbreaking 3-2 setback (22-25, 19-25, 25-12, 25-21, 10-15) at Davies Gym.

Justine Walker and Logan Wallick each provided 12 kills to top UT Martin offensively, as Walker hit .550 with only one attack error in 20 attempts. Kenzie Hinshaw divvied out 29 assists in addition to a match-high three service aces and seven digs for a Skyhawk offense that committed only six combined hitting errors over the final three sets.

Defensively, Jamie Rys (23) and Lucy Kaufman (10) each equaled their career-highs in digs while Gintare Mackeviciute turned away a career-best nine blocks at the net for UT Martin (3-8).

The Skyhawks led 4-2 to begin the opening stanza as Rys (service ace) and Walker (kill) assured UT Martin of a quick start. Moments later, two straight kills by Walker kept the Skyhawk advantage at two points (14-12) but the host Salukis pieced together a 9-2 run to build a five-point lead. Kills by Karen Scanlon, Jessica Reynolds and Walker pulled UT Martin back within a point at 23-22 before Southern Illinois recovered for back-to-back points.

Hinshaw helped the Skyhawks jump out to another early lead in the second set, as she had an assist, a kill and a service ace during UT Martin's 5-2 advantage. The Salukis scored seven of the next nine points to take the lead for good in the second set. Consecutive points by Hannah Phillips (kill, service ace) whittled the Skyhawk deficit to 10-9 while a Wallick kill late in the set made the score 19-17. However, Southern Illinois closed out the set with six of the last eight points.

UT Martin followed with one of its most impressive sets of the season, cruising to an early double-digit lead. Walker collected three kills, a service ace and a block assist in the Skyhawks' first 14 points of the set. A Hinshaw service ace helped balloon the UT Martin advantage all the way out to 19-6 as Wallick, Scanlon and Kaufman all provided kills down the stretch to force a fourth set.

A late surge aided the Skyhawks in evening the match at 2-all. Neither side led by more than two points until the final stages of the fourth set, as UT Martin unreeled a 6-0 run behind a massive block party. Mackeviciute had a hand in four blocks over that span of six unanswered points as the Skyhawks closed in on set point at 24-19. The Salukis made it close with two consecutive kills but Scanlon delivered her fifth kill of the set to send the match into the decisive fifth set.

Southern Illinois scored four of the first five points during the fifth stanza but UT Martin responded. Mackeviciute (two kills), Hinshaw (service ace) and Wallick (kill) flipped a four-point deficit into a 9-all tie. Unfortunately, the Skyhawk comeback attempt could not be completed as the Salukis came away with a 6-1 run to wrap up the match.

UT Martin's home opener is set for this weekend as the program hosts the two-day, four-team Skyhawk Invitational. UT Martin is set to take on Evansville (12:30 p.m.) and Mercer (7 p.m.) on Friday, Sept. 20 before concluding the event with a 2 p.m. matchup against Little Rock on Saturday, Sept. 21.