Golden Eagles fall to Radford in three
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Every time Tennessee Tech found a rhythm on Friday, Radford responded with a run, making the Golden Eagles fight for every point they got as the Highlanders took a 3-0 victory on the second day of the Golden Eagle Invitational presented by Holiday Inn of Cookeville. Tech (2-6) closes out the tournament on Saturday as it hosts Samford at 6 p.m. Admission to all volleyball matches in the Hooper Eblen Center is free to the public.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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18 | 20 | 12 | 0 |
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25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Team Stats
Radford
| Game Statistics | Radford | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | 0.444 | 0.161 |
| Blocks | 8 | 2 |
| Digs | 35 | 26 |
| Aces | 7 | 6 |
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Every time Tennessee Tech found a rhythm on Friday, Radford responded with a run, making the Golden Eagles fight for every point they got as the Highlanders took a 3-0 victory on the second day of the Golden Eagle Invitational presented by Holiday Inn of Cookeville.
Tech (2-6) closes out the tournament on Saturday as it hosts Samford at 6 p.m. Admission to all volleyball matches in the Hooper Eblen Center is free to the public.
Throughout the match there were flashes for the Golden Eagles, but they couldn't catch fire as Radford (2-6) put together one of its best efforts of the season, hitting .444 for the contest and getting double-digit kills from Aubrey Hatch with 11 and 10 for Taryn Roberts. The Highlanders were also able to defend the net, collecting 16 assisted blocks – including five for Roberts.
Jackeline Nerro had 16 assists to lead Radford, while Lea Gage collected 15.
For the Golden Eagles, Bella Powell led the way with seven kills, Jordan Karlen had five with a few sneaky ones from the set, and Ava Schubert, Audrey Berkebile and Tuva Falk each collecting four. MK Roberts was strong on defense with a team-best 10 digs, while Powell had a solo block and an assist out of the Golden Eagles' pair of total blocks.
Karlen led the match with 21 assists.
Radford jumped out to an early lead in the opening set, but the Golden Eagles climbed back within one at 10-9 with Tech forcing an attack error by Rylee Sloss. However, the Highlanders rode back out to a six-point advantage at 18-12. Three straight kills – two from Falk and one from Powell – cut it back within three at 18-15, but that was the closest Tech got back in the set as Radford continued to a 25-18 win in the frame.
The second set saw six ties and four lead changes as the Golden Eagles battled, jumping out to a 7-2 run to open. Radford roared back with six straight points – two attack errors, two kills and two service aces – to take a 9-8 advantage and Tech tied the game on a Roberts attack error.
Jordyn Milhouse tied the set once more at 14, but Gabriela Smolenska put Radford back on top at 15-14, leaving the Golden Eagles a step behind in the remainder of the set. Tech cut it back to two points at 22-20, but the Highlanders collected the last three points of the game to close out with a 25-20 win.
The final set saw Radford storm out quickly, outscoring Tech 10-2 in the first 12 rallies. The early run was tough to overcome as the Highlanders led by as 13 en route to the 25-12 set final and the match sweep.
