Big Nights By Key And Arcucci Not Enough As UT Martin Narrowly Falls At Southern Indiana

Friday, October 30

Evansville, Ind.

6 p.m.

UT Martin

10-13,5-7OVC

Southern Indiana

10-12,5-5OVC

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
UT Martin	18	25	25	16	16	2
Southern Ind.	25	23	20	25	18	3

Stats PDF

10/30/2026 10:11:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Stats PDF

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team received significant contributions out of Rylee Key and Luli Arcucci this evening but were barely outlasted in five sets by Southern Indiana (18-25, 25-23, 25-20, 16-25, 16-18) at Liberty Arena.

The Skyhawks (10-13, 5-7 Ohio Valley Conference) led 13-9 in the decisive fifth set and had three chances at match point before the Screaming Eagles (10-12, 5-5 OVC) mounted a ferocious rally to avoid the weekend sweep.

Key set a career-high in kills for the second straight match, delivering a team-best 16 kills on an eye-popping .462 hitting percentage (just four errors in 26 swings) to go along with a team-high five blocks. Arcucci also enjoyed her best performance in a UT Martin uniform as the junior transfer from Buffalo posted 15 kills and a career-best 16 digs for her third double-double this fall.

Dylan Sulcer (40 assists, four digs, four blocks, three kills), Penny Kirkham (career-best four service aces), Abby Freund (13 digs) and Carly Mueller (team-high five blocks alongside Key) also helped lead the Skyhawks.

UT Martin scored three of the first four points tonight but Southern Indiana eventually took an 11-6 advantage. Arcucci had three kills in a span of five Skyhawk points to bring UT Martin back within one (15-14) but the Screaming Eagles unreeled a 5-0 run on the way to a 1-0 lead in the match. Maddy Gladson had three blocks in the opening set to pace the Skyhawks.

The second set featured 15 ties and four lead changes as UT Martin once again jumped out to a 3-1 advantage. Neither side led by more than two points until back-to-back service aces from Kirkham's right hand and a Riley Rushing kill nudged the Skyhawks ahead by a 22-18 margin. Southern Indiana came back to knot the score at 23-all but Rushing followed with another kill to help UT Martin even the match at 1-1. Arcucci had five kills while Sulcer distributed 13 assists in the second set.

Key had a pair of kills and a block assist as part of a 7-3 Skyhawk run to begin the third stanza. Yet another Kirkham service ace stretched UT Martin's lead out to 18-12 but the Screaming Eagles clawed back to cut the Skyhawk advantage to one point (21-20). Key helped UT Martin successfully recover as the freshman from Newbern, Tenn. had a block assist and back-to-back kills in the final three points of the middle set. Key had five kills on a .444 attack percentage as the Skyhawks took a 2-1 lead in the match.

Kirkham's final service ace of the night provided UT Martin with its first lead of the fourth set at 3-2. Sulcer teamed up with Mueller for two block assists in a three-point stretch as the Skyhawks built a 10-7 advantage. However, Southern Indiana ended the set on an 18-6 run to force a fifth-set tiebreaker. Mueller's two rejections and two kills were team-highs for UT Martin in the fourth set.

The Skyhawks fell behind 3-1 in the shortened fifth set but an 8-4 run soon thereafter swung the momentum in UT Martin's favor. Kills from Key and Arcucci as well as an assisted block from Mueller and Arcucci led to match point opportunities but the Screaming Eagles closed out the match with three straight points. Despite the setback, Arcucci and Key were dominant in the fifth set – combining for nine kills and an even .500 hitting percentage with zero errors.

The final two home matches of the 2026 campaign are on the horizon next week as the Skyhawks play host to OVC rival Lindenwood on Nov. 5-6. The Thursday series opener will start at 6 p.m. while Senior Day festivities honoring Rushing, Mia Saenz and Sulcer will take place shortly before Friday's 5 p.m. tilt.