Saturday, April 30
Morehead, Ky.
10 a.m.
UT Martin
2
at
3
Morehead State
UT MARTIN DIGS DEEP FOR FIRST-EVER OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE BEACH VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP
4/30/2022 4:58:00 PM | Beach Volleyball
MOREHEAD, Ky. – In a hotly contested Ohio Valley Conference Beach Volleyball Championship final at Fazoli's Breadstick Beach, the University of Tennessee at Martin punched its ticket into the upcoming NCAA Tournament courtesy of a riveting 3-2 triumph over tournament host Morehead State.
With the win, the Skyhawks (17-8) earn the first OVC beach volleyball title in school history and become the first-ever OVC automatic qualifier in the NCAA Tournament field, as the 2022 event takes place on May 4-8 in Gulf Shores, Ala.
"We are so excited," UT Martin head coach Jaclynn Wilson said. "It's been a complete team effort to get to this point. I couldn't be more proud of the individuals we have in this program and the efforts they showed this weekend on the court. We're really proud to represent the OVC in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 next week."
Once again, the Skyhawks displayed their high-quality depth today as UT Martin earned victories at the No. 3 through No. 5 positions in the lineup. The Skyhawks raced out to an early 2-0 advantage behind a dominant Brooke Kuball/Addy Vaughn 21-18, 21-9 victory at No. 5 and a Kayla Carrell/Addison Conley 21-18, 21-18 win at No. 4.
Rather than hang their heads, Morehead State pieced together a ruthless rally – storming back to win the first set in all three matchups in the second wave. After UT Martin's No. 1 tandem of Karen Scanlon/Logan Wallick barely fell 21-16, 21-18 and the Skyhawks' No. 2 duo of Dylan Mott/Hannah Phillips were narrowly defeated by a 22-20, 21-14 margin, all eyes were averted to the winner-take-all No. 3 matchup.
UT Martin's Kambree Lucas/Haeleigh Paulino had already battled back to force a decisive third set but found themselves in a 12-10 deficit. The Skyhawks' No. 3 pair withstood the pressure and calmly dialed up four unanswered points before the Eagles broke the run with a point of their own. On its second opportunity at match point, UT Martin managed a clean reception off the Morehead State serve and Paulino provided the match-clinching kill, capping off a 14-21, 21-17, 15-13 victory and sending the Skyhawks into a frenzied dogpile on the court.
Following the match, UT Martin landed four players on the OVC All-Tournament team. Carrell/Conley nabbed Tournament Most Valuable Player accolades after going 3-0 in the event and improving their season record to 24-1. Minutes after their victory clinched the OVC title, Lucas/Paulino also earned a spot on the five-team OVC All-Tournament team.
The Skyhawks will find out their NCAA Tournament first-round opponent this evening when the selection show field will take place at 8 p.m. on NCAA.com.
Gallery: (4-30-2022) Beach Volleyball at OVC Championship (Day 3)
With the win, the Skyhawks (17-8) earn the first OVC beach volleyball title in school history and become the first-ever OVC automatic qualifier in the NCAA Tournament field, as the 2022 event takes place on May 4-8 in Gulf Shores, Ala.
"We are so excited," UT Martin head coach Jaclynn Wilson said. "It's been a complete team effort to get to this point. I couldn't be more proud of the individuals we have in this program and the efforts they showed this weekend on the court. We're really proud to represent the OVC in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 next week."
Once again, the Skyhawks displayed their high-quality depth today as UT Martin earned victories at the No. 3 through No. 5 positions in the lineup. The Skyhawks raced out to an early 2-0 advantage behind a dominant Brooke Kuball/Addy Vaughn 21-18, 21-9 victory at No. 5 and a Kayla Carrell/Addison Conley 21-18, 21-18 win at No. 4.
Rather than hang their heads, Morehead State pieced together a ruthless rally – storming back to win the first set in all three matchups in the second wave. After UT Martin's No. 1 tandem of Karen Scanlon/Logan Wallick barely fell 21-16, 21-18 and the Skyhawks' No. 2 duo of Dylan Mott/Hannah Phillips were narrowly defeated by a 22-20, 21-14 margin, all eyes were averted to the winner-take-all No. 3 matchup.
UT Martin's Kambree Lucas/Haeleigh Paulino had already battled back to force a decisive third set but found themselves in a 12-10 deficit. The Skyhawks' No. 3 pair withstood the pressure and calmly dialed up four unanswered points before the Eagles broke the run with a point of their own. On its second opportunity at match point, UT Martin managed a clean reception off the Morehead State serve and Paulino provided the match-clinching kill, capping off a 14-21, 21-17, 15-13 victory and sending the Skyhawks into a frenzied dogpile on the court.
Following the match, UT Martin landed four players on the OVC All-Tournament team. Carrell/Conley nabbed Tournament Most Valuable Player accolades after going 3-0 in the event and improving their season record to 24-1. Minutes after their victory clinched the OVC title, Lucas/Paulino also earned a spot on the five-team OVC All-Tournament team.
The Skyhawks will find out their NCAA Tournament first-round opponent this evening when the selection show field will take place at 8 p.m. on NCAA.com.
Players Mentioned
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