Red-Hot Offense Lifts Skyhawks To OVC Weekend Sweep Over Western Illinois

Saturday, October 17

Macomb, Ill.

2 p.m.

UT Martin

9-10,4-4OVC

Western Illinois

2-14,2-4OVC

Team	1	2	3	Final F
UT Martin	25	25	25	3
Western Ill.	21	18	17	0

Stats PDF

Red-Hot Offense Lifts Skyhawks To OVC Weekend Sweep Over Western Illinois

10/17/2026 7:11:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Stats PDF

MACOMB, Ill. – A season-best .342 hitting percentage led to a convincing win for the University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball squad today as the Skyhawks swept Ohio Valley Conference rival Western Illinois by scores of 25-21, 25-18, 25-17.

UT Martin's offense zoomed past its previous season-high attack percentage of .257 against Evansville on Sept. 15. Maddy Gladson was responsible for a career-best 15 kills on a .387 hitting percentage while adding a pair of service aces and nine digs. Rylee Key (.444) and Luli Arcucci (.269) also chipped in with 10 kills apiece while Carly Mueller (.471) contributed eight kills on 17 swings to go along with a match-high four blocks.

Dylan Sulcer tallied 35 assists with a team-best 13 digs while Abby Freund (12 digs) and Lauren Mariscal (nine digs) keyed a vaunted Skyhawk defensive attack.

UT Martin improved to 9-10 overall (4-4 OVC) after hitting a scorching .462 with no errors (18 kills in 39 swings) in the opening set. Gladson had seven of those kills in 13 attempts (.538 attack percentage) as the first stanza featured 11 ties and three lead changes. After both teams jostled for momentum, the Skyhawks ended the set with five unanswered points – starting with a pair of points from Key (kill, service ace) before a Mueller solo block served as the clincher.

UT Martin seized control early in the middle set, taking a 12-5 advantage following a Mariscal service ace. The Skyhawk trio of Gladson, Arcucci and Key each had two kills during a late eight-point stretch before yet another Gladson rally killer clinched a 2-0 lead for UT Martin. Key (five kills, two solo blocks), Mariscal (two service aces) and Mariscal (seven digs) led the Skyhawks in the second stanza.

Mueller got off to a quick start in the final set as her third kill of the stanza resulted in a 7-6 UT Martin advantage. Gladson dialed up three points (two kills, service ace) in a nine-point span before the Skyhawks coasted to the finish line. UT Martin ended the match with four unanswered points from four different sources (Key kill, Gladson kill, Sulcer service ace, Arcucci kill). The Skyhawk trio of Mueller (.667 hitting percentage), Gladson (.375) and Arcucci (.333) each had four kills apiece in the third stanza.

UT Martin is back at home next weekend, hosting Southeast Missouri for a two-match series at Skyhawk Fieldhouse. First serve times are set for 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23 and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24.