SKYHAWK VOLLEYBALL ROLLS TO SWEEP OVER OVC FOE EASTERN ILLINOIS IN HOME OPENER

Sunday, February 21

Martin, Tenn.

6 p.m.

UT Martin

2-1,2-1OVC

Eastern Illinois

0-5,0-5OVC

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Eastern Illinois	23	17	13	0
UT Martin	25	25	25	3

SKYHAWK VOLLEYBALL ROLLS TO SWEEP OVER OVC FOE EASTERN ILLINOIS IN HOME OPENER

2/21/2021 9:27:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score PDF Boxscore

MARTIN, Tenn. – The first home match in 2020-21 for the University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team was a rousing success as the Skyhawks cruised to a three-set victory over Eastern Illinois (25-23, 25-17, 25-13) this evening.

UT Martin improved to 2-1 on the season after hitting .311 for the match, committing only 11 attack errors in 106 swings. The Skyhawk offense improved in each set as they hit .243 in the first stanza, followed by .312 in the second set and a sizzling .378 in the final stanza.

Addison Conley delivered a team-best 10 kills on a .333 hitting percentage while ranking second on the squad with eight digs. Karen Scanlon (nine kills against zero errors, .643 attack percentage) and Logan Wallick (eight kills, .267 hitting percentage) also performed well while Kenzie Hinshaw distributed 35 assists in her season debut for UT Martin.

Freshman Baillie Kearns helped the Skyhawks limit Eastern Illnois to an .058 team attack percentage as the libero out of St. Louis, Mo. scooped up a match-high 14 digs. She also added a pair of service aces while Dylan Mott and Kayla Carrell each generated seven digs apiece. Olivia Lucia swatted away a match-high two blocks and hit .400 with five kills for UT Martin.

Gallery: (2-21-2021) Volleyball vs. Eastern Illinois

Eastern Illinois (0-5) took a 6-2 advantage to begin the first set but the Skyhawks soon rallied. Conley slammed down three kills in the span of four UT Martin points before a bad set by the Panthers gave the Skyhawks their first lead at 12-11. A pair of Scanlon kills kept UT Martin ahead until a 4-1 Eastern Illinois run resulted in a 20-19 Panther advantage. The Skyhawks then scored six of the final nine points, capped off by Conley's set-clinching kill. Scanlon (five kills on six attempts) and Hinshaw (13 assists) guided UT Martin to the opening 1-0 lead.

The Skyhawks never trailed in the second stanza as Lucia and Wallick each came away with kills during a 3-0 run to start the set. A Lauren O'Neill kill doubled up the score at 10-5 but Eastern Illinois roared back to claim five of the next six points. UT Martin immediately responded with a 5-0 run of its own featuring a Hinshaw kill and a Kearns service ace. Wallick dialed up three kills down the stretch as the Skyhawks clinched a 2-0 match advantage. Kearns' five digs and two service aces were both team-highs in the second set for UT Martin.

The Skyhawks put on an offensive clinic in the third stanza as Hinshaw handed out 14 assists and seven different players combined for 15 kills with only one error. Seeing her first action of the night, Jessica Reynolds got UT Martin going with a kill for the first point of the set. Conley piled up three kills while the trio of Lucia, Scanlon and O'Neill each had two kills during a 18-5 run to put the score out of reach. Reynolds tacked on two more kills late before an Addy Vaughn kill pushed the Skyhawk lead out to 13 points at 24-11. Lucia soon followed with a kill on match point to put the finishing touches on a triumphant home opener.

UT Martin and Eastern Illinois will square off tomorrow at 2:15 p.m. at Skyhawk Fieldhouse.