Rachel Thomas
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- Height:
- 6-2
-
- Hometown:
- Okemos, Mich.
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- Position:
- MB
-
- Year:
- Jr.
-
- High School:
- Okemos HS
-
- Major:
- Exercise Science, Physical Education and Wellness
-
- Previous School:
- Okemos HS
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- Club:
- Team Detroit
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- Club Team:
- Team Detroit
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- m
- 30
-
- k/s
- 2.64
-
- h %
- .260
-
- a/s
- 0.04
-
- b/s
- 0.89
-
- sa/s
- 0.06
-
- d/s
- 0.34
Bio
2017: Started all 28 matches… collected 186 kills, 55 digs, 73 blocks (17 solo), 242 points and 11 service aces and added a hitting percentage of .230… her block total and solo blocks number led Tech on the season, while her kills and points ranked second… set a new career-high with eight blocks at Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 29)… set a new career-high hitting percentage (min. 10 attempts) of .500 against Southeast Missouri (Oct. 27)… had five games with double-digit kills.
2016: Played in all of Tech’s 29 matches, starting 27… totaled 219 kills (for an average of 2.13 per set), 50 digs, 48 blocks (six solo) and 246 points… her kill and point totals led the team and her 48 blocks ranked second… put up a career-high 15 kills versus Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 23) in Tech’s OVC season-opener, which marked one of her seven games with double-digit kills… put together a career-high hitting percentage (min. 10 attempts) of .387 off 31 tries also against EKU… had three games with five blocks (Aug. 27 versus UAB, Sept. 3 versus Northwestern State and Sept. 10 at Middle Tennessee)… also collected a career-high 17 points against UAB.
High School: Thomas comes to Tech from Okemos High School, where she won three letters as a middle and right side under head coach Jamie Ianni… compiled 788 kills, 291 blocks, 137 service aces and 559 digs in her career… helped the Chieftains to 2013 and 2015 Capital Area Activities Conference titles… received Class A all-area honors from the Lansing State Journal in 2014 and 2015 and All-Region honors from the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association in 2014 and 2015… also earned CAAC Blue Division All-Conference honors in 2014 and 2015 and was on the honorable mention list in 2013… named to the 2014 AVCA Phenom list and 2015 AVCA Under Armour All-American watch list.
Personal: Majoring in general curriculum… named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll three times (fall 2017, spring 2017, fall 2016) and the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll once (2016-17).
| Overall | Conference | |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 30 | 16 |
| Sets | 118 | 66 |
| Kills | 311 | 165 |
| Kills per set | 2.64 | 2.50 |
| Errors | 106 | 58 |
| Total Attacks | 789 | 416 |
| Total Attacks per set | 6.69 | 6.30 |
| Hitting Percentage | .260 | .257 |
| Assists | 5 | 2 |
| Assists per set | 0.04 | 0.03 |
| Service Total Attempts | 123 | 58 |
| Service Aces | 7 | 3 |
| Service Errors | 13 | 8 |
| Service Aces per set | 0.06 | 0.05 |
| Receptions | 11 | 3 |
| Reception Errors | 0 | 0 |
| Digs | 40 | 23 |
| Digs per set | 0.34 | 0.35 |
| Block Solo | 19 | 15 |
| Block Assist | 86 | 52 |
| Block Total | 105 | 67 |
| Blocks per set | 0.89 | 1.02 |
| Block Errors | 10 | 6 |
| Ball Handling Errors | 0 | 0 |
| Points | 380.0 | 209.0 |
| Points per set | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| Matches started | 30 | 16 |
Game Log - Offense
| Date | Opponent | Score | ms | s | k | e | ta | pct | a | pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24 | vs. FDU | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 2 | 37 | .486 | 0 | 21.5 |
| Aug 24 | vs. Evansville | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 24 | .375 | 1 | 13.5 |
| Aug 25 | at Western Illinois | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 5 | 30 | .367 | 0 | 20.5 |
| Aug 30 | Hampton | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 16 | .438 | 0 | 7.5 |
| Aug 31 | USC Upstate | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 21 | .381 | 0 | 8.5 |
| Aug 31 | New Orleans | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 6 | 37 | .216 | 0 | 18.0 |
| Sep 1 | East Carolina | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 33 | .000 | 2 | 12.5 |
| Sep 4 | Chattanooga | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 2 | 32 | .344 | 0 | 17.0 |
| Sep 7 | vs. North Alabama | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 5 | 31 | .226 | 0 | 13.5 |
| Sep 7 | at Memphis | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 24 | .333 | 0 | 10.5 |
| Sep 8 | vs. ULM | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 18 | .111 | 0 | 5.0 |
| Sep 14 | at Seattle U | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 22 | .182 | 0 | 6.5 |
| Sep 14 | vs. Montana State | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 31 | .097 | 0 | 10.5 |
| Sep 15 | vs. Idaho State | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 17 | .118 | 0 | 6.0 |
| Sep 21 | at Eastern Kentucky | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 3 | 27 | .333 | 0 | 14.0 |
| Sep 22 | at Morehead State | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 16 | .438 | 0 | 9.5 |
| Sep 28 | Belmont | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 4 | 30 | .267 | 1 | 18.0 |
| Sep 29 | Tennessee State | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 31 | .032 | 1 | 8.5 |
| Oct 2 | at Jacksonville State | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 20 | .250 | 0 | 10.0 |
| Oct 6 | at Southeast Missouri | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 21 | 5 | 39 | .410 | 0 | 23.5 |
| Oct 12 | SIUE | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 28 | .429 | 0 | 15.5 |
| Oct 13 | Eastern Illinois | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 23 | .043 | 0 | 9.0 |
| Oct 19 | at Murray State | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 18 | .056 | 0 | 7.5 |
| Oct 20 | at Austin Peay | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 4 | 37 | .351 | 0 | 21.0 |
| Oct 26 | Morehead State | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 30 | .033 | 0 | 11.0 |
| Oct 27 | Eastern Kentucky | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 4 | 33 | .242 | 0 | 15.5 |
| Nov 2 | at Tennessee State | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 14 | .571 | 0 | 11.0 |
| Nov 3 | at Belmont | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 29 | .379 | 0 | 18.0 |
| Nov 7 | Jacksonville State | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 20 | .350 | 0 | 11.5 |
| Nov 10 | UT Martin | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 21 | -.048 | 0 | 5.5 |
Game Log - Defense
| Date | Opponent | Score | ms | s | digs | bs | ba | be | tot | bhe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24 | vs. FDU | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 24 | vs. Evansville | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Aug 25 | at Western Illinois | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Aug 30 | Hampton | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 31 | USC Upstate | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 31 | New Orleans | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Sep 1 | East Carolina | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Sep 4 | Chattanooga | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| Sep 7 | vs. North Alabama | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Sep 7 | at Memphis | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 8 | vs. ULM | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Sep 14 | at Seattle U | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 14 | vs. Montana State | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 15 | vs. Idaho State | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 21 | at Eastern Kentucky | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Sep 22 | at Morehead State | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 28 | Belmont | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Sep 29 | Tennessee State | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Oct 2 | at Jacksonville State | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Oct 6 | at Southeast Missouri | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Oct 12 | SIUE | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 13 | Eastern Illinois | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Oct 19 | at Murray State | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Oct 20 | at Austin Peay | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Oct 26 | Morehead State | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Oct 27 | Eastern Kentucky | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Nov 2 | at Tennessee State | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Nov 3 | at Belmont | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Nov 7 | Jacksonville State | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Nov 10 | UT Martin | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Game Log - Serve/Receive
| Date | Opponent | Score | ms | s | ta | sa | se | r | re |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24 | vs. FDU | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Aug 24 | vs. Evansville | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 25 | at Western Illinois | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 30 | Hampton | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 31 | USC Upstate | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 31 | New Orleans | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 1 | East Carolina | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 4 | Chattanooga | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Sep 7 | vs. North Alabama | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 7 | at Memphis | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 8 | vs. ULM | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 14 | at Seattle U | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 14 | vs. Montana State | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 15 | vs. Idaho State | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 21 | at Eastern Kentucky | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 22 | at Morehead State | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 28 | Belmont | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 29 | Tennessee State | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 2 | at Jacksonville State | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 6 | at Southeast Missouri | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 12 | SIUE | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 13 | Eastern Illinois | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 19 | at Murray State | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 20 | at Austin Peay | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 26 | Morehead State | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 27 | Eastern Kentucky | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 2 | at Tennessee State | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 3 | at Belmont | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Nov 7 | Jacksonville State | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 10 | UT Martin | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statistic | m | s | k | k/s | e | ta | ta/s | pct | a | a/s | pts | pts/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 29 | 103 | 219 | 2.13 | 118 | 672 | 6.52 | .150 | 1 | 0.01 | 246.0 | 2.4 |
| 2017-18 | 28 | 97 | 186 | 1.92 | 69 | 508 | 5.24 | .230 | 1 | 0.01 | 242.0 | 2.5 |
| 2018-19 | 30 | 118 | 311 | 2.64 | 106 | 789 | 6.69 | .260 | 5 | 0.04 | 380.0 | 3.2 |
| 2019-20 | 30 | 107 | 252 | 2.36 | 74 | 610 | 5.70 | .292 | 3 | 0.03 | 293.5 | 2.7 |
| Total | 117 | 425 | 968 | 2.28 | 367 | 2579 | 6.07 | .233 | 10 | 0.02 | 1161.5 | 2.7 |
| Statistic | m | s | k | k/s | e | ta | ta/s | pct | a | a/s | pts | pts/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | ||||||||||||
| Total | 30 | 118 | 311 | 2.64 | 106 | 789 | 6.69 | .260 | 5 | 0.04 | 380.0 | 3.2 |
| Conference | 16 | 66 | 165 | 2.50 | 58 | 416 | 6.30 | .257 | 2 | 0.03 | 209.0 | 3.2 |
| Exhibition | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Location | ||||||||||||
| Home | 13 | 51 | 123 | 2.41 | 52 | 355 | 6.96 | .200 | 4 | 0.08 | 158.0 | 3.1 |
| Away | 11 | 44 | 125 | 2.84 | 32 | 276 | 6.27 | .337 | 0 | 0.00 | 152.0 | 3.5 |
| Neutral | 6 | 23 | 63 | 2.74 | 22 | 158 | 6.87 | .259 | 1 | 0.04 | 70.0 | 3.0 |
| Result | ||||||||||||
| Wins | 11 | 43 | 131 | 3.05 | 29 | 291 | 6.77 | .351 | 1 | 0.02 | 160.0 | 3.7 |
| Losses | 19 | 75 | 180 | 2.40 | 77 | 498 | 6.64 | .207 | 4 | 0.05 | 220.0 | 2.9 |
| Month | ||||||||||||
| August | 6 | 24 | 76 | 3.17 | 15 | 165 | 6.88 | .370 | 1 | 0.04 | 89.5 | 3.7 |
| September | 12 | 45 | 108 | 2.40 | 46 | 312 | 6.93 | .199 | 4 | 0.09 | 131.5 | 2.9 |
| October | 8 | 34 | 92 | 2.71 | 35 | 228 | 6.71 | .250 | 0 | 0.00 | 113.0 | 3.3 |
| November | 4 | 15 | 35 | 2.33 | 10 | 84 | 5.60 | .298 | 0 | 0.00 | 46.0 | 3.1 |
| Statistic | m | s | digs | d/s | bs | ba | tot | b/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | ||||||||
| Total | 30 | 118 | 40 | 0.34 | 19 | 86 | 105 | 0.89 |
| Conference | 16 | 66 | 23 | 0.35 | 15 | 52 | 67 | 1.02 |
| Exhibition | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Location | ||||||||
| Home | 13 | 51 | 18 | 0.35 | 11 | 38 | 49 | 0.96 |
| Away | 11 | 44 | 15 | 0.34 | 8 | 36 | 44 | 1.00 |
| Neutral | 6 | 23 | 7 | 0.30 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 0.52 |
| Result | ||||||||
| Wins | 11 | 43 | 6 | 0.14 | 8 | 36 | 44 | 1.02 |
| Losses | 19 | 75 | 34 | 0.45 | 11 | 50 | 61 | 0.81 |
| Month | ||||||||
| August | 6 | 24 | 8 | 0.33 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 0.92 |
| September | 12 | 45 | 14 | 0.31 | 5 | 29 | 34 | 0.76 |
| October | 8 | 34 | 14 | 0.41 | 7 | 26 | 33 | 0.97 |
| November | 4 | 15 | 4 | 0.27 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 1.07 |
| Statistic | m | s | ta | sa | sa/s | se | r | re |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | ||||||||
| Total | 30 | 118 | 123 | 7 | 0.06 | 13 | 11 | 0 |
| Conference | 16 | 66 | 58 | 3 | 0.05 | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| Exhibition | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Location | ||||||||
| Home | 13 | 51 | 59 | 5 | 0.10 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| Away | 11 | 44 | 23 | 1 | 0.02 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Neutral | 6 | 23 | 41 | 1 | 0.04 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| Result | ||||||||
| Wins | 11 | 43 | 39 | 3 | 0.07 | 7 | 8 | 0 |
| Losses | 19 | 75 | 84 | 4 | 0.05 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Month | ||||||||
| August | 6 | 24 | 38 | 1 | 0.04 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| September | 12 | 45 | 37 | 4 | 0.09 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| October | 8 | 34 | 46 | 1 | 0.03 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| November | 4 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0.07 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
News mentions
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A Susie Jeziorowski career milestone was one of the few bright spots for Tennessee Tech in its match against Jacksonville State on Wednesday night, as the senior recorded career assist No. 2,000 in the Golden Eagles’ loss. Jeziorowski, a two-year starter from Green Lake, Wis., accomplished the feat in the second set, as she set up Rachel Thomas for her 11th assist of the evening. She finished with 28 helpers for the match, and added seven digs defensively.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Just when it looked like the OVC Tournament would be going on without them, the Tennessee Tech volleyball team took a huge step toward changing its destiny with a pair of road wins last weekend, and will look to further improve its postseason chances at home against Jacksonville State on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. “Being in contention for a spot in the conference tournament is definitely on the minds of our players,” said coach Jeannette Waldo. “As a staff, we are staying consistent in our preparation and trying to stay the course. It’s an exciting week, no doubt about it, but it won’t do us any favors to change the way we approach matches at this point in the season.” Tech received what was arguably its best overall offensive production over a two-match conference weekend, as it featured three players (Erica Grant, Ali Verzani and Rachel Thomas) with at least 22 kills, and another, Taylor Dorsey, with 18.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – One night after a convincing three-set victory over Tennessee State, the Tennessee Tech volleyball team had a much more difficult time with Belmont on Saturday afternoon, but rose to the occasion when it mattered most to defeat the Bruins, 3-2. “We are operating on another level right now,” said head coach Jeannette Waldo. “Our desire to win is carrying us through.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As head coach Jeannette Waldo has said of her Tennessee Tech volleyball team in the past, ‘when they’re clicking, they can play with anybody in this league’. Such was the case Friday night for TTU, as they went into Nashville, got outstanding offensive production from all over the court, and dispatched the homestanding Tennessee State Tigers, 3-0.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – In a match that followed almost the exact same script as the first meeting between the two teams, Tennessee Tech volleyball fell in five grueling sets to Eastern Kentucky on Saturday afternoon in the Hooper Eblen Center. The loss moves Tech’s record to 9-17 and 3-9 in the Ohio Valley Conference, and marks the only time this season that the Golden Eagles have been swept at home on a conference weekend.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech volleyball welcomed Morehead State inside the Hooper Eblen Center Friday night and found out its guest was as good as advertised, as the Golden Eagles fell to the second-place Eagles, 3-1, in an Ohio Valley Conference match. The loss, which is just Tech’s fourth at home this season, moved its record to 9-16 overall and 3-8 in the OVC. Morehead improves to 17-7, 8-3.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – What a difference a day can make. Less than 24 hours after one of its most difficult matches of the season, Tennessee Tech volleyball rebounded with a tremendous effort Saturday against OVC leader Austin Peay, as TTU took the Governors to the brink of suffering their first home loss of the season. Tech (9-15, 3-6) was clearly not intimidated by its highly-decorated opponent, as it outplayed Austin Peay in the first two sets, and earned a 2-0 match lead in the process. The momentum shifted, however, as the Govs took sets three and four, and then sealed it in the fifth.
MURRAY, Ky. – Tennessee Tech volleyball was unable to come away with a league victory in a tough road environment on Friday night, as it fell, 3-0, at Murray State. The loss ends Tech’s previous winning streak of two games and moves its record to 9-14 on the season, and 3-6 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Shaniece James and Erica Grant led the Golden Eagle offense with six kills each. James only committed one attack error on 15 attempts for the team’s highest percentage, .333.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – After a pair of huge wins inside the Hooper Eblen Center last weekend that greatly aided their Ohio Valley Conference Tournament hopes, Tennessee Tech volleyball will take its talents on the road again to throw down with two of the league’s best, Murray State and Austin Peay. Jeannette Waldo reported she felt her team had “turned a corner” with regards to its confidence following the sweep, and understandably so. The Golden Eagles came away with victories over SIUE and Eastern Illinois, and got it done on both sides of the court. Ali Verzani (31 kills), Erica Grant (29) and Rachel Thomas (21) led a superb offensive effort facilitated by Susie Jeziorowski (94 assists), while Kirsten Brugere racked up 4.88 digs per set in the back court, and Taylor Dorsey was in on 11 of Tech’s 18 blocks.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech volleyball ended its three-game losing streak emphatically on Friday night, and got a much-needed win in Ohio Valley Conference play, as it flew past Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in straight sets: 25-23, 25-21, 29-27. Tech doubled its 2017 win total with Friday’s triumph, as it moved to 8-13 for the season and 2-5 in the OVC. It was also TTU’s fifth win in eight matches inside the Hooper Eblen Center, a venue that is becoming difficult for opponents to leave victorious.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – From a wins and losses standpoint, it’s been a challenging conference season so far for Tennessee Tech volleyball, but plenty of encouragement lies in the examples of growth and maturity the team has showcased throughout. Perhaps the most notable instance took place last Saturday at Southeast Missouri. After spotting the Redhawks a 2-0 lead to start the match, Tech picked itself up and battled back to take sets three and four. It outplayed SEMO for much of the hard-fought fifth set, and held a late lead, but could not hang on.
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – It did not look good for Tennessee Tech volleyball after two sets against Southeast Missouri, but the Golden Eagles dug in, and fought back to tie the match at two. The comeback effort would be thwarted by SEMO at the last second, however, as the Redhawks eked out a 15-13 victory in a winner-take-all fifth set. It was yet another notable example of a young TTU team learning, growing and grinding under first-year head coach Jeannette Waldo. Her team’s 7-13 record and 1-5 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference are not a true indicators of the progress it has made.
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Tennessee Tech volleyball got off to a good start Tuesday night against Jacksonville State, but could not find consistent scoring in the middle stages of the match, which led to an eventual 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Gamecocks.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech’s first Ohio Valley Conference win didn’t come easy on Friday night, but the Golden Eagles ended up victorious over a scrappy Belmont club, downing the Bruins in five sets: 21-25, 25-20, 25-11, 18-25, 15-10. A joyful and relieved Jeannette Waldo admitted that her team’s outing was by no means a flawless one, but that she was delighted to get into the win column for the first time in OVC play.
MOREHEAD, Ky. – Tennessee Tech volleyball was downed by Morehead State in three sets on Saturday afternoon to conclude its opening weekend in Ohio Valley Conference play. Morehead State (11-4, 2-0) entered the contest near the top of the league in a number of offensive categories, and had its firepower on display again vs. TTU (6-10, 0-2), notching set victories 25-17, 25-23 and 25-20.
RICHMOND, Ky. – Tennessee Tech volleyball nearly found a way to get a road win in its first Ohio Valley Conference match of the season, but could not complete its bid for a comeback in the fifth set at Eastern Kentucky Friday evening. Tech (6-9, 0-1) and EKU (2-11, 1-0) battled through an extremely tight match, needing extra points to settle two of the five sets, including the decisive fifth, which was edged out by the Colonels, 16-14.
SEATTLE, Wash. – The Tennessee Tech volleyball team dropped its final game in the Seattle U. Redhawk Invitational to Idaho State on Saturday afternoon, falling in straight sets. With that result, Tech has now closed the book on its nonconference schedule, having compiled a 6-8 record.
SEATTLE, Wash. – Tennessee Tech volleyball did not get the start it was looking for on the first day of its final nonconference tournament of the season, dropping matches to the host Seattle U. and to Montana State at the Redhawk Invitational on Friday. The Golden Eagles’ record moves to 6-7 with one match remaining against Idaho State on Saturday, before opening the conference slate one week from tonight.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – For the third time in as many weeks, Tennessee Tech volleyball would spend its Friday squaring off with two different opponents. North Alabama and Memphis were the adversaries this time around, and TTU would once again manage a split of its Friday twin bill, beating North Alabama, 3-1, in an afternoon matinee, before falling to Memphis, 3-1, in the evening.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It took one set, but Tennessee Tech volleyball worked out the kinks and then started piling up the points on Chattanooga en route to a 3-1 win. The victory gives Tech a winning homestand with three wins and two losses, and improves its record to 5-3.
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Kirsten Brugere and Erica Grant were selected by the Ohio Valley Conference as the league’s Defensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week, respectively, for their efforts at the Golden Eagle Invitational this past weekend.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech volleyball dropped its final game in the Golden Eagle Invitational on Saturday, coming up short to East Carolina in three sets: 23-25, 23-25, 17-25. With the loss, Tech manages a .500 record for the tournament and moves its record to 4-3 on the season.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – In almost a mirror image of their doubleheader last Friday at the Leatherneck Invitational, Tennessee Tech volleyball won its first match of the day, and fell in a back-and-forth, five-set thriller in the nightcap.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As far as home openers go, the Tennessee Tech volleyball team did it about as well as it can be done, dominating all three sets against Hampton in the first game of the Golden Eagle Invitational to move to 3-1 on the year.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Fresh off a promising start to the season at Western Illinois’ Leatherneck Invitational, the Tennessee Tech volleyball team is preparing to host its own tournament, the Golden Eagle Invitational, starting Thursday night in the Hooper Eblen Center.
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Middle blocker Rachel Thomas earned Ohio Valley Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week accolades for her efforts at the Hampton Inn Leatherneck Invitational last weekend.
MACOMB, Ill. – Tennessee Tech volleyball won its first true road game of the 2018 season, closing out tournament host Western Illinois in four sets on Saturday, 25-23, 15-25, 25-22, 25-12.
MACOMB, Ill. – Tennessee Tech women’s volleyball came up one set short of a doubleheader sweep to open its 2018 season. Tech bested Fairleigh Dickinson in four extremely hard fought sets in its first match Friday morning, dropping the first 25-23 before roaring back to take three in a row: 25-23, 25-23 and 30-28.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A brand new coaching staff led by Jeannette Waldo is looking to bring a new attitude to the Tennessee Tech volleyball program, and after last season’s struggles, no coach – or player – will be looking in the rear-view mirror.