By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A late comeback bid fell just short for the Tennessee Tech volleyball team Sunday evening, as the Golden Eagles fell to Ohio Valley Conference and in-state rival Tennessee State on the road, 3-2 (25-16, 25-19, 17-25, 16-25, 15-13).
The Tigers (2-9, 2-9) came out swinging on the night, claiming a 25-17 win in set one by hitting .294 with just one attack error. Set two was even more of a success on the offensive end for the home team, as TSU hit a whopping .536 with 17 kills to take a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-19 set victory.
And then the rally was on for the purple and gold. Tech flipped the script in the third set, forcing the Tigers out of their comfort zone and into an eye-popping 11 attack errors. The Golden Eagles used TSU's struggles to clinch the set, 25-17.
The Golden Eagles erupted to hit .444 with 15 kills in set four, easily claiming a 25-16 win to knot things up at 2-2. Tech held the Tigers to just eight kills in the game, while racking up an impressive sideout percentage of 81.0.
In the fifth and final set, it was back-and-forth between the two Tennessee institutions, with the Tigers taking the largest lead at 9-5. Tech worked its way back into the thick of it, eventually tying things up at 12-12 after a TSU timeout. Square again at 13-13, Tennessee State finished things off with back-to-back kills to claim the series-opening win.
Tech middle blocker Taylor Dorsey was an attacking monster for Tech on the night, registering a team-high and season-high 15 kills while hitting .379. Fellow middle blocker Skylar Boom finished right behind her teammate offensively, collecting 14 kills on a .312 hitting percentage. She also added three total blocks.
Senior Ali Verzani produced one of two double-doubles for the Golden Eagles, totaling 13 kills and a team-high 12 digs. Junior setter Ashley Hand captured her fifth double-double of the year, tallying a match-high 45 assists with 11 digs.
The purple and gold will get a second crack at the Tigers Monday afternoon, with first serve scheduled for 5:00 p.m. CT in Nashville.
File photo by Jim Dillon
