Golden Eagles rally in third to complete TSU sweep
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech took the first two sets on Friday night, but Tennessee State wasn’t going down without a fight as the Golden Eagles rallied from a seven-point deficit in the finale to complete the three-set sweep, Tech (6-11, 3-2 Ohio Valley Conference) concludes the series against the Lady Tigers on Saturday at 2 p.m. Admission to all volleyball matches is free to the public. The match will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
25 | 25 | 26 | 3 |
|
|
22 | 13 | 24 | 0 |
Team Stats
Tennessee State
| Game Statistics | Tennessee State | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | 0.045 | 0.229 |
| Blocks | 6 | 8 |
| Digs | 39 | 41 |
| Aces | 3 | 5 |
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech took the first two sets on Friday night, but Tennessee State wasn't going down without a fight as the Golden Eagles rallied from a seven-point deficit in the finale to complete the three-set sweep,
Tech (6-11, 3-2 Ohio Valley Conference) concludes the series against the Lady Tigers on Saturday at 2 p.m. Admission to all volleyball matches is free to the public. The match will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).
Bella Powell ended the match with a double-double, collecting 12 points and 11 digs, while Alayna Pierce had nine kills and Ava Schubert eight. Ayanna Rodgers had a solid outing as she came up with five kills and five assisted blocks to help pace the Golden Eagles. Jordan Karlen recorded 34 assists in the three-set win, while MK Roberts had 14 digs.
Aliyah Harris and Maygan Miller-Garcia led the Lady Tigers (1-18, 0-6 OVC) with six kills each, while Sagaia Reilly had 15 assists, Erini Bitsaktsi had 12 digs and Miller-arcia recorded a solo block and five assisted blocks.
The first set was a battle as the Golden Eagles and the Lady Tigers saw nine ties and two lead changes in the first game, with the set tied for the final time at 21-all. Tuva Falk collected a pair of service aces, then Powell earned a kill to force set point. Miller-Garcia inched State closer, but Karlen closed out the set with a kill with an assist from Powell for the 25-22 win.
There was no doubt in the second set as the Golden Eagles stormed out to an insurmountable lead, ahead by as many as 13 points to take a 25-13 victory and one set away from the match sweep.
Tennessee State went on a run and built a 15-8 lead. Behind Karlen's serve for six straight rallies, the Golden Eagles climbed back and tied the match at 20-all. As both teams challenged points, Tech was able to stave off a set point attempt as Audrey Berkebile claimed a kill on Aliyah Harris' block error to even the set at 24. Harris was charged with an attack error to give the Golden Eagles match point, then Tech walked off with the victory on Ella Watford's service ace.
Roberts had nine digs in the finale, while Powell had five kills, Schubert and Berkebile four during the stretch.
Photo | Jim Dillon
