UT MARTIN VOLLEYBALL STAYS UNDEFEATED IN CONFERENCE PLAY FOLLOWING FIVE-SET THRILLER AT LITTLE ROCK

Saturday, September 24

Little Rock, Ark.

4 p.m.

UT Martin

9-7,3-0OVC

Little Rock

3-11,0-2OVC

UT Martin

Little Rock

UT MARTIN VOLLEYBALL STAYS UNDEFEATED IN CONFERENCE PLAY FOLLOWING FIVE-SET THRILLER AT LITTLE ROCK

9/24/2022 11:54:00 PM | Volleyball

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – For the second straight day, the University of Tennessee at Martin outlasted the Little Rock Trojans as the Skyhawks secured a 3-2 victory (25-23, 18-25, 25-17, 26-28, 15-12) in Ohio Valley Conference volleyball action.

UT Martin completed a perfect run through the week with today's result, upping its record to 9-7 overall with a 3-0 OVC mark. The Skyhawks are now 3-0 in OVC play for the fifth time in school history and first time since 2017.

Logan Wallick came up with a huge performance for UT Martin today, compiling a match-high 21 kills on a sizzling .421 hitting percentage. She committed only five miscues on 38 swings. Angel Baylark generated 11 kills on a .529 attack percentage on 17 swings while adding a match-best seven blocks for the Skyhawks, who hit .232 thanks to an efficient offense guided by Haeleigh Paulino (29 assists) and Addy Vaughn (21 assists).

Karen Scanlon posted a double-double of 10 kills and 13 digs while Kambree Lucas almost came away with her second double-double of the week (nine kills, match-high 18 digs). Dylan Mott added a dozen digs today for UT Martin, who also received a career-best four service aces out of Mia Saenz.

Little Rock took a 6-2 lead to begin the match but back-to-back Wallick kills evened the score at 8-all. The Skyhawks soon reeled off five unanswered points to claim their first lead of the day after two consecutive Saenz service aces made the score 16-13. UT Martin led by as many as four points but the Trojans stormed back to take a 23-22 advantage following a 4-1 run. However, the Skyhawks notched three straight points (Vaughn kill, Paulino service ace, Wallick kill) to earn a 1-0 lead in the match. Wallick's five kills in nine attacks led the way for UT Martin in the opening set as the Skyhawks collectively hit .263.

Lucas opened the second set with a kill but the momentum soon shifted as Little Rock went on a 7-0 run. After UT Martin closed to within two points, the Trojans scored 11 of the next 17 points. Baylark did her best to bring the Skyhawks back as the sophomore middle blocker from Burlington, Iowa provided a pair of kills and a block assist over a stretch of five points. UT Martin was able to trim its deficit to 21-18 but Little Rock scored the final four points of the set to even the match at 1-all. The trio of Wallick, Scanlon and Baylark each had three kills apiece in the second set for the Skyhawks.

UT Martin led for a majority of the third set, scoring nine of the first 12 points. Scanlon had a pair of service aces and a kill early on to set the tone. The Skyhawks held on to a 15-10 lead before a barrage of five consecutive kills, paced by two apiece out of Vaughn and Lucas to stretch their lead out to double digits (21-11). The Trojans wouldn't get any closer than six points for the rest of the stanza as a Wallick kill clinched the set for UT Martin, who hit .433 (16 kills, three errors) while siding out at 76 percent for the set. Lucas' five kills in eight swings topped the Skyhawks.

The fourth set was tight late as the Trojans battled to stay alive. Little Rock scored six of the first seven points and maintained its lead all the way until a Lucas service ace tilted the score back in UT Martin's favor at 17-16. A trio of Wallick kills up to that point helped the Skyhawks overcome their deficit and threaten to close out the match in four sets. The Trojans bounced back for six unanswered points but back-to-back Wallick kills fueled another UT Martin spurt as the score was knotted at 22-all. Three more ties followed as the Skyhawks fended off set point three times but Little Rock escaped with the win to force a winner-take-all fifth stanza. Despite the setback, Wallick (seven kills) and Lucas (seven digs) each had phenomenal performances for UT Martin.

The Skyhawks came out red-hot in the final set, accounting for the first five points as Wallick contributed a pair of kills. The Trojans then went on a 5-0 run and eventually went ahead by a 10-9 margin. Wallick and Scanlon chipped in back-to-back kills before Little Rock evened the score at 11-all – the seventh tie in the abbreviated set. UT Martin stepped up with several clutch plays from that point forward, nabbing four of the final five points – concluding with a match-clinching kill from Lucas. Wallick had four of the Skyhawks' 10 kills while Paulino divvied out six assists in the final set.

UT Martin opens a four-match homestand next weekend, coinciding with Homecoming festivities on campus. The Skyhawks will square off against defending league champion Southeast Missouri at 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30 and again at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1.