Friday, October 17
Martin, Tenn.
5 p.m.
UT Martin
2-16,1-6OVC
1
vs
3
SIUE
10-9,5-3OVC
1
2
3
4
F
SIUE
25
25
16
25
3
UT Martin
21
22
25
21
1
Surratt Ties Career-High With 20 Kills But UT Martin Falls To SIUE
10/17/2025 9:04:00 PM | Volleyball
MARTIN, Tenn. – Sophomore Kylie Surratt put on a show offensively while the University of Tennessee at Martin defense established a season-high in blocks but the Skyhawks fell 3-1 in tight battle to SIUE (21-25, 22-25, 25-16, 21-25) this evening.
Surratt's 20 rally killers tied her career-best performance at Lindenwood on Oct. 19, 2024 as the Maryland Heights, Mo. native hit .211 with nine digs and four blocks tonight.
Kristin Phillips added 12 kills on a .385 attack percentage with a season-best six blocks while Ava Peters produced a stat line of 35 assists, 10 digs, a career-best six blocks and four kills for the third double-double of her freshman campaign.
Defensively, Abby Freund managed a team-high 17 digs while Carly Mueller swatted away a career-best nine blocks. As a defensive unit, UT Martin rejected 15 blocks at the net – four more than its previous season-high and the most since blocking 15 Southern Indiana attempts on Oct. 1, 2024.
The opening set had 14 tie scores and eight lead changes by itself as neither side led by more than two points until the Cougars took a 24-21 advantage. Service aces from Dylan Sulcer, Kayla Bryant and Phillips helped the Skyhawks keep pace. After trailing 18-17, a SIUE service error, block assist from Phillips and Peters and a Surratt kill put UT Martin on top by a 20-18 margin. However, the Cougars ended the set on a 7-1 run. Surratt (four kills) and Phillips (three blocks) guided the Skyhawks in the first stanza.
Kills from Bryant and Surratt helped UT Martin lead by a 6-2 margin to start the second set. SIUE eventually went on an 18-6 run but the Skyhawks got back within striking distance late. Four points from Phillips (three kills plus a service ace) and a pair of Surratt kills in a seven-point stretch whittled the Cougar lead all the way down to two points (24-22). SIUE was able to convert set point on the next possession to take a 2-0 advantage in the match. Phillips and Surratt each had four kills on identical .571 hitting percentages while Peters had nine assists and three blocks in the second set.
UT Martin's offense caught fire in the third stanza, hitting .361 (15 kills against only two errors) in 36 swings while siding out at 70 percent (12-of-17 opportunities). Four separate Skyhawks (Mueller, Surratt, Phillips, Peters) had kills as part of a 6-1 lead before a Chyler Martin kill extended UT Martin's lead out to 10-4. Surratt had a hand in four consecutive points (three kills, one block assist) to help the Skyhawks lead by as many as 10 points down the stretch. Surratt had six kills on a .375 attack percentage to guide UT Martin in the third set.
The Skyhawks were responsible for four of the first six points in the fourth set before the Cougars responded with six unanswered points. Surratt had four kills and a block assist on five straight UT Martin points midway through the set as the Skyhawks began to creep back. Yet another Surratt kill trimmed UT Martin's deficit down to 23-21 but the Skyhawks could not extend the match into the fifth set. Surratt's six kills and Mueller's whopping five blocks in the final set led the way.
These two teams will wrap up their weekend series tomorrow at 11 a.m. inside Skyhawk Fieldhouse. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Surratt's 20 rally killers tied her career-best performance at Lindenwood on Oct. 19, 2024 as the Maryland Heights, Mo. native hit .211 with nine digs and four blocks tonight.
Kristin Phillips added 12 kills on a .385 attack percentage with a season-best six blocks while Ava Peters produced a stat line of 35 assists, 10 digs, a career-best six blocks and four kills for the third double-double of her freshman campaign.
Defensively, Abby Freund managed a team-high 17 digs while Carly Mueller swatted away a career-best nine blocks. As a defensive unit, UT Martin rejected 15 blocks at the net – four more than its previous season-high and the most since blocking 15 Southern Indiana attempts on Oct. 1, 2024.
The opening set had 14 tie scores and eight lead changes by itself as neither side led by more than two points until the Cougars took a 24-21 advantage. Service aces from Dylan Sulcer, Kayla Bryant and Phillips helped the Skyhawks keep pace. After trailing 18-17, a SIUE service error, block assist from Phillips and Peters and a Surratt kill put UT Martin on top by a 20-18 margin. However, the Cougars ended the set on a 7-1 run. Surratt (four kills) and Phillips (three blocks) guided the Skyhawks in the first stanza.
Kills from Bryant and Surratt helped UT Martin lead by a 6-2 margin to start the second set. SIUE eventually went on an 18-6 run but the Skyhawks got back within striking distance late. Four points from Phillips (three kills plus a service ace) and a pair of Surratt kills in a seven-point stretch whittled the Cougar lead all the way down to two points (24-22). SIUE was able to convert set point on the next possession to take a 2-0 advantage in the match. Phillips and Surratt each had four kills on identical .571 hitting percentages while Peters had nine assists and three blocks in the second set.
UT Martin's offense caught fire in the third stanza, hitting .361 (15 kills against only two errors) in 36 swings while siding out at 70 percent (12-of-17 opportunities). Four separate Skyhawks (Mueller, Surratt, Phillips, Peters) had kills as part of a 6-1 lead before a Chyler Martin kill extended UT Martin's lead out to 10-4. Surratt had a hand in four consecutive points (three kills, one block assist) to help the Skyhawks lead by as many as 10 points down the stretch. Surratt had six kills on a .375 attack percentage to guide UT Martin in the third set.
The Skyhawks were responsible for four of the first six points in the fourth set before the Cougars responded with six unanswered points. Surratt had four kills and a block assist on five straight UT Martin points midway through the set as the Skyhawks began to creep back. Yet another Surratt kill trimmed UT Martin's deficit down to 23-21 but the Skyhawks could not extend the match into the fifth set. Surratt's six kills and Mueller's whopping five blocks in the final set led the way.
These two teams will wrap up their weekend series tomorrow at 11 a.m. inside Skyhawk Fieldhouse. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Team Stats
SIUE
UTM
Kills
52
46
Errors
27
25
Attempts
147
158
Hitting %
.170
.133
Points
67.0
67.0
Assists
49
39
Aces
5
6
Blocks
10
15
Game Leaders
Kills
20
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Kills
12
Aces
2
Blocks
6
Kills
4
Aces
2
Blocks
0
Kills
4
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
OH/OPP
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballS
/ VolleyballMB
/ Volleyball
DS/S
/ VolleyballOH
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