Tech Volleyball looks to avenge USI loss Wednesday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Tennessee Tech has been able to put some wins together in the last five matches, but in the middle of that stretch, a 3-0 loss last week at home against Southern Indiana looms. The Golden Eagles will get a chance to avenge that loss on Wednesday as Tech makes the return trip to visit the Screaming Eagles in their nest for a 6 PM game.
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Tennessee Tech has been able to put some wins together in the last five matches, but in the middle of that stretch, a 3-0 loss last week at home against Southern Indiana looms.
The Golden Eagles will get a chance to avenge that loss on Wednesday as Tech makes the return trip to visit the Screaming Eagles in their nest for a 6 PM game.
That match aside, Tech has won four of its last five matches and have climbed back up in the Ohio Valley Conference race and stand in fourth entering the Wednesday contest. Morehead State (11-1), Eastern Illinois (10-2), USI (8-3), Tech (8-5) and Little Rock (7-5) are currently in the top five spots, while SIUE (7-7), Southeast Missouri (6-6), Lindenwood (6-6) complete the top eight. Western Illinois (4-8) is on the outside looking in, while UT Martin (1-11) and Tennessee State (0-14) are outliers.
The two teams met just last week with Southern Indiana sweeping the match 25-18, 25-19 and 25-17.
Alayna Pierce led Tech with 12 kills in the earlier meeting, collecting eight digs and an assisted block, while Jordan Karlen had 25 assists and 18 digs for the double-double. Tuva Falk was the only other Golden Eagle with more than five kills in the match, collecting six.
Ashby Willis led USI with 13 kills, while Bianca Anderson had eight and Leah Coleman seven. Aysa Thomas had 28 assists and 10 digs, while Audrey Small had seven assists and 20 digs.
Southern Indiana enters Wednesday's action with a 12-11 overall record and have not played since last week's outing in Cookeville. The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, took two from SIUE to jump ahead in the conference standings.
Willis leads the team with 306 kills, while Anderson has 210, Coleman 199 and Carley Wright 160. Thomas has 782 assists, while Small has 360 digs. McKenzie Murphy leads the team in blocks with 91, while Anderson has 81.
Bella Powell leads the Golden Eagles with 326 kills, while Pierce has 173, Tuva Falk 142, Jordyn Milhouse 123, Audrey Berkebile 122 and Ava Schubert 111. Jordan Karlen is closing in on 1,000 kills for the season with 888 assists, while MK Roberts has 285 digs, Karlen 241 and Powell 238. Falk has 55 blocks, while Milhouse has 47 and Powell 37.
The USI contest is Tech's only action this week before the Golden Eagles close out the campaign with four matches in a week's time with two at Little Rock on Nov. 13 and 14 before coming home to close out the regular season with a pair against Eastern Illinois on Nov. 18 and 19.
Photo | Jim Dillon
