Tech tops Green Bay in four sets
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Tennessee Tech volleyball team snapped its losing streak on Friday night as the Golden Eagles came away with a 3-1 victory over tournament host Green Bay in the second day of Kendall’s Battle at the Capital Credit Union Classic. Tech (3-8) collected 52 total kills in the match with three double-digit efforts as Bella Powell led the way with 15 kills, while Audrey Berkebile had 11 and Ava Schubert had 10, including seven in the deciding fourth set.
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Tennessee Tech volleyball team snapped its losing streak on Friday night as the Golden Eagles came away with a 3-1 victory over tournament host Green Bay in the second day of Kendall's Battle at the Capital Credit Union Classic.
Tech (3-8) collected 52 total kills in the match with three double-digit efforts as Bella Powell led the way with 15 kills, while Audrey Berkebile had 11 and Ava Schubert had 10, including seven in the deciding fourth set.
Jordan Karlen ended the match with 42 assists, while Berkebile and Powell completed double-doubles as the former had 15 digs, the latter 16 and MK Roberts led the team with 18.
Diane Pichelman led the Phoenix (1-9) with 14 kills, while Gillian Koning had eight and Katie Schul had seven. Emma Johnson had 29 assists and Kennedy Schmitz had 14 digs.
In the first set, the Golden Eagles overcame a 4-1 start to tie the game at 5-5, then a service error at 7-6 gave Tech a lead it never relinquished en route to a 25-22 victory in game one. Powell powered the Golden Eagles to five kills and Berkebille had four as Karlen ended the set with 13 assists.
While there were two early ties at 1-1 and 7-7, Green Bay never trailed in the second set as the Phoenix tied the match at a set each with a 25-18 win with Green Bay leading by as many as eight points at its peak.
In the final two sets, the score was tied 15 times as the two teams battled back and forth with four lead changes in the third and three in the fourth. Green Bay led the third set 16-13 until an attack error and two kills for Schubert squared the game at 16. With the frame tied at 20 for the final time, the Golden Eagles outscored the Phoenix 5-2 in the final seven rallies with Berkebile getting an ace and a kill, Powell two kills and Schubert a kill to secure the Tech win.
Tech trailed 10-5 to open the fourth set, but battled back to even the game at 16. Green Bay retook a brief lead and the two teams swapped place until the match was tied for the final time at 21-all.
Jordyn Milhouse collected a kill to put Tech up for the last time, then a challenge reversed a Green Bay point to give Schubert a kill on a blocking error. Karlen delivered a service ace to force match point, then Schubert put the exclamation point down on a kill to end the match with Tech taking the final set 25-23.
The Golden Eagles close out the tournament Saturday morning at 11 AM as Tech takes on Western Michigan.
