Photo by: UT Martin University Relations
TALENT-RICH UT MARTIN VOLLEYBALL SQUAD MOTIVATED FOR 2022 CAMPAIGN
8/23/2022 4:28:00 PM | Volleyball
MARTIN, Tenn. – When the Ohio Valley Conference predicted order of finish for the 2022 volleyball season was released last week, one message was clear: the progression of the University of Tennessee at Martin program has gained respect.
The Skyhawks picked up a pair of first-place votes and accrued the third-most points in the 10-team standings, trailing only 2021 OVC co-champions Southeast Missouri and Morehead State. The third-place prediction was the highest the program had been picked in two decades as the league's head coaches and sports information directors gave UT Martin its due.
"Obviously the league has changed a lot during my tenure here but we have done our best to control what we can control," said head coach Jaclynn Wilson, who enters her eighth season in charge of the Skyhawk program in 2022. "If you take a look at our year-to-year progress, we have improved our rank in the OVC standings in each of my seven years with the exception of the unorthodox 2020-21 spring season. With that said, preseason predictions mean nothing in the big picture – we still have to go out and perform each and every day."
UT Martin appeared close to breaking through last season, notching its most overall wins (15) since 2011 while flaunting its best conference winning percentage (.611) since 2002. The Skyhawks claimed the No. 4 seed in the OVC Championship tournament but were unable to get past their first-round opponent.
What happened next is a pursuit that Wilson hopes carries over to the fall. UT Martin won the OVC beach volleyball championship during the spring semester, becoming the first team in league history to sweep the regular season and tournament titles en route to an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
"Obviously they are very different sports with different skillsets but we share a lot of the same student-athletes," Wilson said. "We have 11 girls in our locker room that were a part of that championship run – they showed a hunger for perfection, dedicating themselves to one common goal and came out on top. There's something to say for that."
The Skyhawks boast plenty of star power as UT Martin's three Preseason All-OVC honorees are tied for the most in the league. Leading the way is reigning All-OVC first team selection Karen Scanlon, who returns after pacing the Skyhawks in kills (324, 2.68 per set) and blocks (112, 0.93 per set). Fellow graduate Logan Wallick also comes back to UT Martin after ranking second on the team in kills per set (2.43) a year ago.
"Both Karen and Logan took part in Senior Day ceremonies last fall but chose to come back for their graduate seasons," Wilson said. "That was a huge boost for our program as they have almost 1,500 career kills between them. We feel really good about those two leading our program and setting the tone every day in practice."
The third returning Preseason All-OVC honoree is Olivia Saunders, who registered a team-best .273 hitting percentage in addition to 212 kills (2.14 per set) and 90 blocks (0.91 per set) after transferring to the Skyhawks from Wake Forest.
"Olivia is on the mend after an offseason surgery," Wilson said. "She is working hard every day to get ready for a return and we hope to have her back sooner rather than later – she brings a size and presence that is unmatched in our gym."
Setter Haeleigh Paulino landed an OVC-best 39 service aces a season ago to go along with a team-high 725 assists while ranking second with 318 digs (2.63 per set). Kayla Carrell (201 digs, 1.69 per set) and Audrey Haworth (41 kills, 59 digs) round out UT Martin's senior class in 2022.
After scooping up a team-high 208 digs (3.65 per set) as a freshman, Dylan Mott followed that with 11 starts at libero last season. The Hendersonville, Tenn. native owns 487 career digs and joins Addy Vaughn (392 assists, 130 kills, 119 digs, 55 blocks in 45 career matches) and Kambree Lucas (41 kills and 35 digs in limited action last fall) as sophomore returners who will factor into the team's plans. Unfortunately, redshirt sophomore Zoe Merriweather (1.03 blocks per set average in her two-year career) is expected to miss the 2022 campaign after rehabbing an offseason injury.
A total of nine Skyhawks are primed to make an impact in their debut seasons this fall. Kristin Phillips and Hannah Haislip each redshirted in 2021 and will push for playing time on the opposite pin and setter, respectively.
Four of UT Martin's seven newcomers played at the collegiate level last season. Ryan Rednour is a NCAA Division I transfer as the defensive specialist tallied 187 digs, 21 service aces and a .913 reception percentage over 109 career sets at Southern Illinois. Angel Baylark earned NJCAA first team All-American honors at Iowa Central Community College last fall as the middle blocker collected 599 kills, hit .358 and posted 263 blocks. Mary Leslie Cranford, an early enrollee who was a member of the Skyhawks' OVC championship beach volleyball team last spring, accumulated a team-high 263 kills at Itawamba Community College in 2021. Olivia O'Keefe spent the past two seasons playing beach volleyball at NCAA Division II Tusculum after a stellar prep career at Chaparral High School in Arizona.
The Skyhawks' true freshman class includes outside hitter Kayla Bryant (247 kills, 48 service aces as a senior at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, Ky.), middle blocker Mia Saenz (392 kills and 255 digs in her final season at Bryan Station High School in Lexington, Ky.) and setter Anna Gover (two-time district Most Valuable Player at Covington High School in Covington, Tenn.).
With a deep 19-member roster, Wilson likes the potential of the 2022 Skyhawks. UT Martin will face a stout nonconference slate before its bid for an OVC championship starts on Sept. 20. Five of the Skyhawks' first seven OVC matchups are at home while all four of UT Martin's matches against defending OVC co-champions Southeast Missouri and Morehead State will take place inside the friendly confines of Skyhawk Fieldhouse.
"We've had a good three weeks of practice and are ready to get things rolling," Wilson said. "Our communication is key – we want to play fast and urgent but our message has been 'controlled chaos'. If this team plays to its abilities, I have no doubt in my mind that the results will be there at the end of the fall."
The Skyhawks picked up a pair of first-place votes and accrued the third-most points in the 10-team standings, trailing only 2021 OVC co-champions Southeast Missouri and Morehead State. The third-place prediction was the highest the program had been picked in two decades as the league's head coaches and sports information directors gave UT Martin its due.
"Obviously the league has changed a lot during my tenure here but we have done our best to control what we can control," said head coach Jaclynn Wilson, who enters her eighth season in charge of the Skyhawk program in 2022. "If you take a look at our year-to-year progress, we have improved our rank in the OVC standings in each of my seven years with the exception of the unorthodox 2020-21 spring season. With that said, preseason predictions mean nothing in the big picture – we still have to go out and perform each and every day."
UT Martin appeared close to breaking through last season, notching its most overall wins (15) since 2011 while flaunting its best conference winning percentage (.611) since 2002. The Skyhawks claimed the No. 4 seed in the OVC Championship tournament but were unable to get past their first-round opponent.
What happened next is a pursuit that Wilson hopes carries over to the fall. UT Martin won the OVC beach volleyball championship during the spring semester, becoming the first team in league history to sweep the regular season and tournament titles en route to an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
"Obviously they are very different sports with different skillsets but we share a lot of the same student-athletes," Wilson said. "We have 11 girls in our locker room that were a part of that championship run – they showed a hunger for perfection, dedicating themselves to one common goal and came out on top. There's something to say for that."
The Skyhawks boast plenty of star power as UT Martin's three Preseason All-OVC honorees are tied for the most in the league. Leading the way is reigning All-OVC first team selection Karen Scanlon, who returns after pacing the Skyhawks in kills (324, 2.68 per set) and blocks (112, 0.93 per set). Fellow graduate Logan Wallick also comes back to UT Martin after ranking second on the team in kills per set (2.43) a year ago.
"Both Karen and Logan took part in Senior Day ceremonies last fall but chose to come back for their graduate seasons," Wilson said. "That was a huge boost for our program as they have almost 1,500 career kills between them. We feel really good about those two leading our program and setting the tone every day in practice."
The third returning Preseason All-OVC honoree is Olivia Saunders, who registered a team-best .273 hitting percentage in addition to 212 kills (2.14 per set) and 90 blocks (0.91 per set) after transferring to the Skyhawks from Wake Forest.
"Olivia is on the mend after an offseason surgery," Wilson said. "She is working hard every day to get ready for a return and we hope to have her back sooner rather than later – she brings a size and presence that is unmatched in our gym."
Setter Haeleigh Paulino landed an OVC-best 39 service aces a season ago to go along with a team-high 725 assists while ranking second with 318 digs (2.63 per set). Kayla Carrell (201 digs, 1.69 per set) and Audrey Haworth (41 kills, 59 digs) round out UT Martin's senior class in 2022.
After scooping up a team-high 208 digs (3.65 per set) as a freshman, Dylan Mott followed that with 11 starts at libero last season. The Hendersonville, Tenn. native owns 487 career digs and joins Addy Vaughn (392 assists, 130 kills, 119 digs, 55 blocks in 45 career matches) and Kambree Lucas (41 kills and 35 digs in limited action last fall) as sophomore returners who will factor into the team's plans. Unfortunately, redshirt sophomore Zoe Merriweather (1.03 blocks per set average in her two-year career) is expected to miss the 2022 campaign after rehabbing an offseason injury.
A total of nine Skyhawks are primed to make an impact in their debut seasons this fall. Kristin Phillips and Hannah Haislip each redshirted in 2021 and will push for playing time on the opposite pin and setter, respectively.
Four of UT Martin's seven newcomers played at the collegiate level last season. Ryan Rednour is a NCAA Division I transfer as the defensive specialist tallied 187 digs, 21 service aces and a .913 reception percentage over 109 career sets at Southern Illinois. Angel Baylark earned NJCAA first team All-American honors at Iowa Central Community College last fall as the middle blocker collected 599 kills, hit .358 and posted 263 blocks. Mary Leslie Cranford, an early enrollee who was a member of the Skyhawks' OVC championship beach volleyball team last spring, accumulated a team-high 263 kills at Itawamba Community College in 2021. Olivia O'Keefe spent the past two seasons playing beach volleyball at NCAA Division II Tusculum after a stellar prep career at Chaparral High School in Arizona.
The Skyhawks' true freshman class includes outside hitter Kayla Bryant (247 kills, 48 service aces as a senior at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, Ky.), middle blocker Mia Saenz (392 kills and 255 digs in her final season at Bryan Station High School in Lexington, Ky.) and setter Anna Gover (two-time district Most Valuable Player at Covington High School in Covington, Tenn.).
With a deep 19-member roster, Wilson likes the potential of the 2022 Skyhawks. UT Martin will face a stout nonconference slate before its bid for an OVC championship starts on Sept. 20. Five of the Skyhawks' first seven OVC matchups are at home while all four of UT Martin's matches against defending OVC co-champions Southeast Missouri and Morehead State will take place inside the friendly confines of Skyhawk Fieldhouse.
"We've had a good three weeks of practice and are ready to get things rolling," Wilson said. "Our communication is key – we want to play fast and urgent but our message has been 'controlled chaos'. If this team plays to its abilities, I have no doubt in my mind that the results will be there at the end of the fall."
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