Golden Eagles split final day of regular season, top Panthers in comeback win
MOREHEAD, Ky. – It was a strong finish to the regular season for the Tennessee Tech beach volleyball team on Saturday, as the Golden Eagles split a pair of 3-2 decisions to conclude action at the second Ohio Valley Conference weekend of competition at Breadstick Beach in Morehead, Ky.
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
MOREHEAD, Ky. – It was a strong finish to the regular season for the Tennessee Tech beach volleyball team on Saturday, as the Golden Eagles split a pair of 3-2 decisions to conclude action at the second Ohio Valley Conference weekend of competition at Breadstick Beach in Morehead, Ky.
After showing improvement on day one of play, the purple and gold (4-17, 2-8) rode that momentum into Saturday, kicking off the second day of duels with an impressive comeback victory over Eastern Illinois (0-10, 0-10).
The Panthers opened the match-up with back-to-back wins at the Nos. 4 and 5 positions, including a three-set triumph at No. 5. EIU also claimed victory in the first set of the No. 3 slot, pushing the Golden Eagles to the brink.
Refusing to go down without a fight, Tech got right back into the contest behind a straight-sets win at the No. 1 spot. The Golden Eagle tandem of redshirt sophomore Jordan Karlen and senior Bella Powell gave the purple and gold their first point of the match-up, capturing victories of 21-16 and 21-17.
Bouncing back from a first-set loss of 21-10 at the No. 3 position, the Cookeville crew duo of senior Aleeya Jones and sophomore MK Roberts turned on their rally caps and delivered for their team. The combo answered the loss with a 21-13 win in set two before squaring the match at 2-2 with a 15-9 triumph in the third set.
Locking down the comeback victory from the No. 2 slot, senior Brooke Amann and freshman Alayna Pierce held off their Panther counterparts with a first-set win of 21-19. The two Golden Eagles then completed the key victory behind a dominant 21-11 win in the second set.
In the second duel of the day, UT Martin (22-8, 7-3) turned in a comeback of its own, topping the purple and gold 3-2. The Skyhawks took the early advantage, winning in straight sets at No. 4.
The Cookeville crew answered right back, as seniors Jazmine Yamilkoski and McKenna Young combined at the No. 5 slot to rally from a 21-18 loss in set one. The Tech tandem fired a 21-16 win in set two before outlasting UT Martin's efforts in a 17-15 marathon in set three.
Karlen and Powell completed an undefeated day at the No. 1 position, pushing the purple and gold into the lead at 2-1 with an impressive three-set decision. The combo won set one, 21-17, but the Skyhawks responded with a 21-13 win in the second set. Karlen and Powell closed it out in a tight battle in the third set, coming out on top 15-13.
UT Martin tied the match with wins of 21-18 and 21-17 at the No. 2 spot, setting up a winner-take-all battle at the No. 3 position. Jones and Roberts bounced back from a 21-18 decision in the opener to take set two, 21-17. The Skyhawk team of Jenna Vallee and Lauren Mariscal earned the match-clinching win in the third set, producing a 15-11 victory.
The Golden Eagles will now set their sights on the OVC Championships next week, spanning Thursday, Apr. 24 through Saturday, Apr. 26 in Chattanooga, Tenn.
File photo by Jim Dillon
