SKYHAWK VOLLEYBALL FALLS IN FIVE-SET MARATHON DURING REGULAR SEASON FINALE AT TENNESSEE TECH

Saturday, November 12

Cookeville, Tenn.

2 p.m.

UT Martin

21-10,15-3OVC

Tennessee Tech

17-13,14-4OVC

UT Martin

Tennessee Tech

SKYHAWK VOLLEYBALL FALLS IN FIVE-SET MARATHON DURING REGULAR SEASON FINALE AT TENNESSEE TECH

11/12/2022 11:44:00 PM | Volleyball

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COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – In a back-and-forth affair that featured 31 tie scores and 13 lead changes, the University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team saw its impressive eight-match winning streak come to an end in a 3-2 setback at Tennessee Tech (21-25, 25-20, 25-14, 21-25, 13-15).

Less than 24 hours after clinching the Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship and the right to host next week's OVC Championship tournament, the Skyhawks equaled a season-high with 16 blocks. Angel Baylark led the way with nine blocks while Mia Saenz provided seven swats and Karen Scanlon chipped in six rejections.

Offensively, Saenz and Baylark tied for the team lead with 11 kills apiece while each hitting .300 or better. Haeleigh Paulino (25 assists) and Addy Vaughn (23 assists) helped direct an offense that hit .228 as a team today.

Dylan Mott corralled 21 digs today for her ninth 20-plus dig match of the 2022 campaign. Kayla Carrell also recorded double-digit scoops with 10 digs for UT Martin (21-10, 15-3 OVC), who wrap up the regular season tied for the most OVC victories in school history alongside the 2002 squad.

Saenz got the day started with a big kill on the opening possession of the match but the Golden Eagles (17-13, 14-4 OVC) took a 6-2 lead early on. Kayla Bryant generated a pair of kills during a 5-0 Skyhawk run that tied the score at 10-10. Tennessee Tech scored the next four points but back-to-back points by Kambree Lucas (kill, service ace) pulled UT Martin back to within one point at 19-18. The Golden Eagles then went on a 6-3 run to close out the set. Saenz had three kills on a .333 hitting percentage and a pair of blocks in the first stanza.

Both sides jockeyed for momentum in the early phases of the second set. Tennessee Tech held on to a slim 7-6 lead before a 7-2 Skyhawk surge where five separate players recorded kills (Vaughn, Logan Wallick, Baylark, Saenz and Scanlon). UT Martin led by an 18-16 margin before reeling off five unanswered points, capped off with a Paulino service ace that nudged the Skyhawk lead out to seven points going away. UT Martin hit an even .400 in the second set, guided by four kills apiece from Wallick and Saenz.

The Skyhawk offense stayed hot in the third set, hitting .407 with 13 kills against only two errors in 27 swings. The trio of Wallick, Lucas and Baylark each had two kills apiece to help UT Martin race out to a 10-3 advantage. The Golden Eagles would not get within five points for the duration of the stanza. A service ace from Bryant pushed the Skyhawk lead out to double figures for the first time before Baylark and Wallick teamed up for a block assist on set point. Baylark was a machine in the third set, leading the team with three kills (on a .500 attack percentage) and four blocks.

UT Martin was in good position to conclude the match in four sets as it led by four points late but Tennessee Tech forced a fifth set after scoring eight unanswered points. Five different Skyhawks accounted for UT Martin's first five kills (Wallick, Saenz, Scanlon, Bryant, Baylark) as the team took a 7-5 advantage. The Golden Eagles briefly took a lead at 12-11 but the Skyhawks posted the next five points to kickstart an 8-2 run. A Tennessee Tech service error made the score 21-17 and put UT Martin on the cusp of victory before the Golden Eagles went on their aforementioned run. Scanlon (four kills) and Mott (eight digs) topped the Skyhawks in the fourth set.

The condensed fifth set was a battle as nine ties and six lead changes took place. UT Martin took its first lead of the stanza at 4-3 after a block assist from Saenz and Scanlon – the first of three straight points via assisted blocks. The Golden Eagles went on a 5-1 run and eventually led 12-9 before four unanswered points from the Skyhawks, keyed by kills out of Wallick and Scanlon. After UT Martin claimed its 13-12 lead, Tennessee Tech scored three consecutive points for the come-from-behind win. A half-dozen different Skyhawks landed a kill in the final set while Mott (four digs) and Scanlon (three blocks) powered the defense.

UT Martin now turns its attention to the OVC Championship event, which will take place at Skyhawk Fieldhouse on Thursday, Nov. 17 through Saturday, Nov. 19. UT Martin's quarterfinal opponent is No. 8 seed SIUE on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m.