UT MARTIN VOLLEYBALL BATTLES BUT DROPS THREE-SET DECISION AT MURRAY STATE

Monday, March 1

Murray, Ky.

4 p.m.

UT Martin

5-3, 5-3OVC

Murray State

4-4, 4-4OVC

Team	1	2	3	Final F
UT Martin	31	11	23	0
Murray State	33	25	25	3

UT MARTIN VOLLEYBALL BATTLES BUT DROPS THREE-SET DECISION AT MURRAY STATE

3/1/2021 8:01:00 PM | Volleyball

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MURRAY, Ky. – A marathon first set did not go the University of Tennessee at Martin's way this evening as Murray State seized the momentum and turned it into a 3-0 Skyhawk setback in Ohio Valley Conference volleyball action.

The host Racers took the opening stanza by a 33-31 margin – marking the longest set since for UT Martin since a 37-35 third stanza at SIUE on Nov. 3, 2018 – and followed that up with 25-11 and 25-23 wins.

Jessica Reynolds led the Skyhawks (5-3) in kills for the first time this season, accumulating 11 on a .226 hitting percentage. Kenzie Hinshaw nearly earned her fourth consecutive double-double but came up just shy with 34 assists and nine digs. Karen Scanlon (nine kills, 10 digs) also almost produced a double-double while Dylan Mott (team-high 11 digs) and Zoe Merriweather (career-best seven blocks) guided UT Martin defensively.

The opening set had 14 tie scores and three lead changes. Kills by Merriweather and Olivia Lucia allowed the Skyhawks to take a 5-2 advantage. After a brief 4-0 run by Murray State, UT Martin unreeled five consecutive points – the latter four came via blocks at the net. Moments later, back-to-back Lucia kills spurred a 4-0 run and made the score 19-14 in favor of the Skyhawks. The Racers evened the score at 22-all and each side literally alternated points for the next 17 points during one stretch. A Scanlon kill tied it all up at 31-31 but Murray State was able to secure back-to-back points to take the 1-0 lead. Scanlon led UT Martin in kills (six) and digs (five) while Hinshaw handed out 15 assists in the first set.

The second set was tightly contested up until midway through when the Racers tallied 12 of the final 13 points. Addison Conley and Reynolds each had two kills apiece as part of the Skyhawks' first five points. Conley's third kill of the set shrunk the UT Martin deficit to 11-9 but Murray State's aforementioned run soon followed as a Lucy Kaufman kill that made the score 20-11 was sandwiched around runs of 7-0 and 5-0 for the Racers. Hinshaw assisted on all nine Skyhawk kills in the second stanza.

Facing a 2-0 deficit like it was against the same team on Sunday night, UT Martin almost pulled through for a third set win but was halted by Murray State. Reynolds had a hand in three consecutive Skyhawk points (two kills, one block assist) as UT Martin went ahead by a 9-5 margin early. The Racers went on a 6-0 run but the Skyhawks eventually reclaimed the advantage after a Merriweather kill capped off a 6-2 UT Martin run and made the score 18-17. Murray State followed with seven of the next 10 points but an assisted block by Conley and Lucia willed the Skyhawks back within one point (24-23). However, the Racers came right back with a kill on match point to wrap up the win. Reynolds was responsible for five kills on 11 swings in the final set.

UT Martin returns home for its next two matches – lining up against Southeast Missouri on March 7-8 at Skyhawk Fieldhouse. First serve for Sunday's match is set for 6 p.m. while Monday's match will begin at 3 p.m.