UT MARTIN PUNCHES TICKET TO NCAA TOURNAMENT WITH YET ANOTHER SWEEP OVER MOREHEAD STATE IN OVC BEACH VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Saturday, April 29

Martin, Tenn.

12 p.m.

UT Martin

#3 Seed Morehead State

UT MARTIN PUNCHES TICKET TO NCAA TOURNAMENT WITH YET ANOTHER SWEEP OVER MOREHEAD STATE IN OVC BEACH VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

4/29/2023 8:50:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

Results Photo Gallery

MARTIN, Tenn. – More history was made today in the Ohio Valley Conference Beach Volleyball Championship finals as the University of Tennessee at Martin hoisted the trophy for the second straight season following a 3-0 sweep of Morehead State.

The victory capped off a true undefeated run through OVC play as the Skyhawks followed a 10-0 regular season with three sweeps in the league's championship event this weekend. UT Martin is now 27-8 and will enter next week's NCAA Tournament having not dropped a set since April 8.

Gallery: (4-29-2023) Beach vs Morehead State (OVC Finals)

The Skyhawks started the day with the reliable outcomes of their No. 4 and No. 5 pairings as they both ended the tournament with a perfect 3-0 marks. The No. 5 squad of Kayla Carrell/Ryan Rednour earned the first point of the match after a hard-earned 21-17, 21-19 win. Haeleigh Paulino/Jenna Vallée outlasted their competitors by a 21-17, 22-20 margin at No. 4, resulting in a 2-0 UT Martin advantage.

The No. 2 duo of Kambree Lucas/Olivia O'Keefe finished the job for the Skyhawks, polishing off the victory with a 21-19, 21-13 triumph that sent the UT Martin players into a celebration dogpile.

Dylan Mott/Logan Wallick (18-21, 19-18 at No. 1) and Lucy Kaufman/Addy Vaughn (18-21, 18-14 at No. 3) were trending towards third-set tiebreakers at the time that the match was clinched.

Following the match, Lucas/O'Keefe were named 2023 OVC Championship Most Valuable Pair and were joined on the OVC All-Tournament Team by Mott/Wallick. Today's match-clinching point was earned by Lucas/O'Keefe while Mott/Wallick sealed the Skyhawks' tournament-opening victory over Tennessee Tech.

UT Martin will head to Gulf Shores, Ala. for the 2023 NCAA Tournament next week and will find out their opponent tomorrow on the NCAA Selection Show. The public is invited to attend a watch party with the two-time OVC champion Skyhawks at the Champion's Club (third floor) of the Hardy Graham Stadium pressbox. Doors for the event will open at 9:30 a.m. and the show begins at 10 a.m. A light breakfast will be served.