By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A dominant offensive effort propelled the Tennessee Tech volleyball team to a quick, 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-15) victory over in-state and Ohio Valley Conference rival Tennessee State Monday evening at Kean Hall.
One night after falling in a heart-breaking, five-set thriller to the Tigers (2-10, 2-10), the Golden Eagles (5-7, 5-7) used a resurgent effort on the offensive side of the ball to make quick work of their rivals down I-40.
Filled with renewed vigor, the purple and gold unloaded for a whopping 18 kills in the opening set while hitting a staggering .485 with just a pair of attack errors. Capturing the set, 25-19, Tech pulled away with a late, five-point run to set the tone for the night.
The Golden Eagles followed up the opening game with another 17 kills in set two, this time overcoming a sluggish start with a series of errors on the attack and the serve. TSU opened an 8-1 lead to start things off and took as large as an 18-10 advantage with a tie in the match seemingly on the horizon.
Tech answered promptly with a 7-0 run, backed by three kills from senior Ali Verzani, two from Taylor Dorsey and a block assist from the pair of Preseason All-OVC selections. After the Tigers snapped the streak with a point, the purple and gold went on to close the set on an 8-3 run, stunning the home crowd for a 25-22 victory and 2-0 lead in the match.
Round three saw the attack die down for both sides and the defense step up for the Golden Eagles. Tech gathered nine kills, four total blocks and three service aces while forcing the home team into 10 attack errors. It equated to an easy, 25-15 victory to avenge the previous night's stinger.
For the match, Tech hit an impressive .302 as a unit, the team's second-highest attack percentage of the season. Setter Ashley Hand was an assist machine in the Golden Eagle effort, accounting for all 39 helpers for her squad. She added a pair of block assists as well.
Verzani delivered one of her top performances of the season, producing a season-high 16 kills with her second-highest hitting percentage of the year, a mark of .371. The outside hitter accounted for 18.5 total points thanks to a pair of service aces and a block assist.
Dorsey was special for the second night in-a-row, totaling 10 kills on a .409 hitting percentage. The middle blocker accounted for four block assists as well, giving her 13.0 points on the night. Also in the double-figure scoring club for the Golden Eagles was sophomore Skylar Boom, who tallied nine kills and 1.5 blocks for 10.5 points.
With the end of the regular season looming, the purple and gold will continue its four-match road stretch with a trip to Murray State next weekend. The team's final road trip of the year will commence on Sunday, Mar. 21 in a 6:00 p.m. CT match in Murray, Ky. The Golden Eagles and Racers will wrap up the two-game set on Monday with a 4:00 p.m. tilt.
File photo by Robert Smith, APSU Athletics