Friday, October 9
Martin, Tenn.
6 p.m.
UT Martin
7-9,2-3OVC
3
vs
1
Eastern Illinois
2-14,1-4OVC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Ill. | 25 | 24 | 22 | 12 | 1 |
| UT Martin | 20 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
UT Martin Clicks On All Cylinders In OVC Series-Opening Win Over Eastern Illinois
10/9/2026 9:32:00 PM | Volleyball
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball squad got back in the win column this evening, topping defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Eastern Illinois in four sets (20-25, 26-24, 25-22, 25-12) at Skyhawk Fieldhouse.
UT Martin hit a crisp .218 as a team and turned away 12 blocks at the net, improving to 7-9 overall with a 2-3 mark in OVC play. The Skyhawks improved their attack percentage in each set (.118/.186/.262/.321) while the defense took over late, holding the Panthers to a -.115 hitting percentage (five kills against eight errors) in 26 swings in the final set.
Dylan Sulcer ran the UT Martin offense efficiently tonight, posting a stat line of 34 assists, 14 digs, six kills on a .462 attack percentage and three blocks. It marked the third double-double of the season for the senior out of Brentwood, Tenn.
Sophie Diouf (12 kills on a .345 hitting percentage) led three Skyhawks who racked up double-digit kills as she was joined by Luli Arcucci (11) and Maddy Gladson (10). Arcucci also landed a pair of service aces while the UT Martin defense was headed by the trio of Lauren Mariscal (18 digs), Abby Freund (season-best 16 digs) and Mia Saenz (season-high six blocks, all in the final three sets).
The Skyhawks opened up a 9-5 lead to start the match but Eastern Illinois (2-14, 1-4 OVC) took the opening set. The Panthers used a 9-1 run midway through the set to lead by as many as five points before an Arcucci kill closed the UT Martin gap to one at 21-20. However, Eastern Illinois scored the final four points of the set. Sulcer had two kills, seven assists and five digs in the first stanza.
The second set began with a 7-1 Skyhawk run as Arcucci produced a kill and a two service aces during that span. After a Gladson kill extended UT Martin's advantage out to 16-13, the Panthers responded with a 10-4 run. With the Skyhawks facing set point (24-23), Sulcer and Arcucci powered through for clutch kills before an Eastern Illinois attack error evened the match at 1-all. Freund made plays all over the court in the second set, registering eight digs.
After the Panthers took a 9-6 lead in the third stanza, Arcucci had a hand in four of the next five UT Martin points (three kills, one block assist). That spurred a 12-2 Skyhawk surge and UT Martin never trailed from that point forward. The score was knotted at 21-21 but Carly Mueller slammed down a pair of kills to help the Skyhawks take the 2-1 lead in the match. Gladson and Diouf each had four kills apiece with zero errors between them in 16 swings while Saenz rejected three blocks in the third set.
It was all UT Martin in the fourth stanza as the Skyhawks raced out to a 10-3 advantage. The closest that Eastern Illinois would get the rest of the way was four points as a Diouf kill opened up a double-digit lead for UT Martin at 19-9. Diouf followed with two more kills late as the Skyhawks coasted to the finish line. Diouf (four kills, .667 hitting percentage) and Saenz (three blocks) helped UT Martin complete its comeback.
The Skyhawks will go for the series sweep tomorrow as these two squads duel it out at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
UT Martin hit a crisp .218 as a team and turned away 12 blocks at the net, improving to 7-9 overall with a 2-3 mark in OVC play. The Skyhawks improved their attack percentage in each set (.118/.186/.262/.321) while the defense took over late, holding the Panthers to a -.115 hitting percentage (five kills against eight errors) in 26 swings in the final set.
Dylan Sulcer ran the UT Martin offense efficiently tonight, posting a stat line of 34 assists, 14 digs, six kills on a .462 attack percentage and three blocks. It marked the third double-double of the season for the senior out of Brentwood, Tenn.
Sophie Diouf (12 kills on a .345 hitting percentage) led three Skyhawks who racked up double-digit kills as she was joined by Luli Arcucci (11) and Maddy Gladson (10). Arcucci also landed a pair of service aces while the UT Martin defense was headed by the trio of Lauren Mariscal (18 digs), Abby Freund (season-best 16 digs) and Mia Saenz (season-high six blocks, all in the final three sets).
The Skyhawks opened up a 9-5 lead to start the match but Eastern Illinois (2-14, 1-4 OVC) took the opening set. The Panthers used a 9-1 run midway through the set to lead by as many as five points before an Arcucci kill closed the UT Martin gap to one at 21-20. However, Eastern Illinois scored the final four points of the set. Sulcer had two kills, seven assists and five digs in the first stanza.
The second set began with a 7-1 Skyhawk run as Arcucci produced a kill and a two service aces during that span. After a Gladson kill extended UT Martin's advantage out to 16-13, the Panthers responded with a 10-4 run. With the Skyhawks facing set point (24-23), Sulcer and Arcucci powered through for clutch kills before an Eastern Illinois attack error evened the match at 1-all. Freund made plays all over the court in the second set, registering eight digs.
After the Panthers took a 9-6 lead in the third stanza, Arcucci had a hand in four of the next five UT Martin points (three kills, one block assist). That spurred a 12-2 Skyhawk surge and UT Martin never trailed from that point forward. The score was knotted at 21-21 but Carly Mueller slammed down a pair of kills to help the Skyhawks take the 2-1 lead in the match. Gladson and Diouf each had four kills apiece with zero errors between them in 16 swings while Saenz rejected three blocks in the third set.
It was all UT Martin in the fourth stanza as the Skyhawks raced out to a 10-3 advantage. The closest that Eastern Illinois would get the rest of the way was four points as a Diouf kill opened up a double-digit lead for UT Martin at 19-9. Diouf followed with two more kills late as the Skyhawks coasted to the finish line. Diouf (four kills, .667 hitting percentage) and Saenz (three blocks) helped UT Martin complete its comeback.
The Skyhawks will go for the series sweep tomorrow as these two squads duel it out at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
MB/OPP
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
OPP
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
S/DS
/ VolleyballTeam Stats
EIU
UTM
Kills
47
52
Errors
32
20
Attempts
153
147
Hitting %
.098
.218
Points
61.0
67.0
Assists
46
51
Aces
9
3
Blocks
5
12
Game Leaders
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
11
Aces
2
Blocks
3
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Tuesday, October 06
Wednesday, September 30
Tuesday, September 15
Sunday, September 06