By Jocelyn VerVelde, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – In 1999, Tennessee Tech head volleyball coach Dave Zelenock was 17 years old, junior right side Cody Dodd was just five years old, and freshman outside Kellie Williams was three.
What's the point? The 1999 season marked the last time the Golden Eagles opened Ohio Valley Conference play 2-0 before rallying for an impressive five-set victory over SIU Edwardsville.
For the second straight day, Dodd was demonstratively dominant as she helped the Golden Eagles top the Cougars in an exciting five-set match, 3-2; 25-27, 25-14, 25-18, 23-25, and 15-12. Tech bumped its overall record to 7-11 on the year with the victory.
In the fifth and deciding set, the Golden Eagles relied on Dodd. And she could have easily taken a job with FedEx for her delivery skills. The Cookeville native was error-free, putting away seven kills on 15 attempts.
A 3-0 start to the fifth proved to be the deciding factor, as an SIUE error and back-to-back kills from freshman K'Vonna Johnson and Dodd gave Tech a lead that was never relinquished. From there on, whenever the Golden Eagles needed a side out, Dodd delivered with a kill.
The Golden Eagles put out their best offensive performance of the season as the team accumulated a team hitting percentage of .271, putting away 69 kills split between six different hitters.
Dodd, a six-foot-four Cookeville native, put away a career-high 30 kills on a .338 hitting percentage in the win, moving her into second in Tech history for kills scored in a single match. Dodd added 15 digs for her second-straight double-double, and her sixth of the season.
Williams was a perfect pairing to Dodd, putting away 14 kills and committing just three errors.
Sophomore Sharon Anderson dished out a career-high 55 assists while tallying a double-double with 16 digs. Senior libero Courtney Smith continued her strong defensive play as she scooped up a game-high 29 digs.
Kristen Torre and Ashley Witt led SIUE with 19 kills apiece. Mallory Mangun compiled 45 assists, while Chelsea Colclasure corralled 22 digs.
The Golden Eagles have a quick turnaround as they head to Jacksonville State on Tuesday night for a 7 p.m. CT match.
