Thursday, October 30
Charleston, Ill.
6 p.m.
UT Martin
2-20,1-10OVC
0
at
3
Eastern Illinois
15-6,9-2OVC
1
2
3
F
UT Martin
20
15
21
0
Eastern Ill.
25
25
25
3
UT Martin Drops First Match Of Eastern Illinois Series
10/30/2025 9:19:00 PM | Volleyball
CHARLESTON, Ill. – Senior outside hitter Kayla Bryant topped the University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team in both kills and digs this evening but the Skyhawks fell by a 3-0 margin (20-25, 15-25, 21-25) at Eastern Illinois.
Bryant posted 12 kills with nine digs tonight, equaling Ava Peters (24 assists) for the team lead in the digs column. Kristin Phillips (seven kills on a .357 attack percentage) and Carly Mueller (four blocks) additionally led UT Martin.
Kills from Kylie Surratt, Phillips and Bryant helped the Skyhawks take an early lead in the opening set before an 11-2 Panther run. Bryant went on a tear that included five kills during an eight-point stretch to pull UT Martin all the way back within two points at 22-20. However, Eastern Illinois scored the final three points of the set to take a 1-0 advantage in the match. Bryant dialed up a spectacular eight kills on a whopping .500 hitting percentage while Surratt managed seven digs in the first set.
Phillips accounted for the first two Skyhawk kills in the second set but the Panthers scored seven unanswered points midway through the stanza. UT Martin received strong play by Surratt (two kills and a solo block in a span of seven points) down the stretch but the deficit was too large for the Skyhawks to overcome. Phillips had three kills on exactly three swings in the second set for UT Martin.
The third set included eight tie scores and four lead changes. The Skyhawks battled back from a 4-1 deficit to take their first lead of the set after a block assist by Mueller and Peters made the score 7-6. After a solo block from Surratt extended UT Martin's lead to 13-11, Eastern Illinois scored five consecutive points and never conceded the lead from there. A Makaelah Paulino service ace knotted the score at 20-all but the Panthers ended the match with five of the last six points. Peters (nine assists on nine team kills) and Mueller (three blocks) paced the Skyhawks in the final set.
UT Martin puts the finishing touches on its four-match road swing tomorrow when the Skyhawks and Eastern Illinois clash at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
Bryant posted 12 kills with nine digs tonight, equaling Ava Peters (24 assists) for the team lead in the digs column. Kristin Phillips (seven kills on a .357 attack percentage) and Carly Mueller (four blocks) additionally led UT Martin.
Kills from Kylie Surratt, Phillips and Bryant helped the Skyhawks take an early lead in the opening set before an 11-2 Panther run. Bryant went on a tear that included five kills during an eight-point stretch to pull UT Martin all the way back within two points at 22-20. However, Eastern Illinois scored the final three points of the set to take a 1-0 advantage in the match. Bryant dialed up a spectacular eight kills on a whopping .500 hitting percentage while Surratt managed seven digs in the first set.
Phillips accounted for the first two Skyhawk kills in the second set but the Panthers scored seven unanswered points midway through the stanza. UT Martin received strong play by Surratt (two kills and a solo block in a span of seven points) down the stretch but the deficit was too large for the Skyhawks to overcome. Phillips had three kills on exactly three swings in the second set for UT Martin.
The third set included eight tie scores and four lead changes. The Skyhawks battled back from a 4-1 deficit to take their first lead of the set after a block assist by Mueller and Peters made the score 7-6. After a solo block from Surratt extended UT Martin's lead to 13-11, Eastern Illinois scored five consecutive points and never conceded the lead from there. A Makaelah Paulino service ace knotted the score at 20-all but the Panthers ended the match with five of the last six points. Peters (nine assists on nine team kills) and Mueller (three blocks) paced the Skyhawks in the final set.
UT Martin puts the finishing touches on its four-match road swing tomorrow when the Skyhawks and Eastern Illinois clash at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
Team Stats
UTM
EIU
Kills
32
40
Errors
18
16
Attempts
101
104
Hitting %
.139
.231
Points
42.0
60.5
Assists
30
34
Aces
2
13
Blocks
8
7.5
Game Leaders
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
5
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
4
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballOH
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