By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – For the first time in the 2021 campaign the Tennessee Tech volleyball lost an Ohio Valley Conference match, falling to Morehead State in a midweek match-up in the Hooper Eblen Center 3-1 (25-17, 28-26, 22-25, 25-20).
Both sides relied on the defensive side of the ball during the match, with neither team hitting over .100 and both totaling 10 or more blocks. The two squads also totaled at least 65 digs each, totaling more than 130 between the two.
Morehead State took set one, taking as large as an eight-point lead early at 11-3. The purple and gold rallied, rolling off six consecutive markers to cut the deficit to two. The Eagles extended the advantage out again, never letting the home team back to within more than three before earning a 25-17 win.
Set two turned out to be a heartbreaker for the Golden Eagles, as the Cookeville crew needed just one more point to square the match at 1-1. Leading 24-21, the purple and gold couldn't hold back a fierce comeback from the visitors, which evened things at 22-24. Tech collected the lead point two more times, but Morehead State posted the final three to eke out a 28-26 victory.
Tech proved relentless in the third set, turning a two-point deficit into a six-point advantage quite quickly. Trailing 17-15, the home squad rode an aggressive serve attack from sophomore Emma Osterbur, who helped the Golden Eagles to an 8-0 run. She rolled off three consecutive service aces to complete the run, putting Tech out far enough to hold on to a 25-22 win.
The Golden Eagles delivered their most efficient attack in the fourth set, hitting .242 with 13 kills, but the Eagles used a vicious serve to edge the home team. Morehead State racked up four aces to Tech's three service errors, creating the difference in the 25-20 win.
Returning freshman McKenna Young turned in one of the top performances of her young career, leading the match with a whopping 27 digs. The total marked a career-high in a four-set match for the Tech libero.
Middle blocker Skylar Boom turned in a monster match, tying for the top total of kills in the match with a season-high 12 terminations. She hit .308 while adding a pair of block assists to the mix. Outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen also contributed 12 kills while providing a pair of solo blocks.
Junior middle blocker Taylor Dorsey turned in another big night at the office, hitting .348 with nine kills and totaling six blocks overall. With the rejections, the Birmingham, Ala. native moved into sixth place on Tech's all-time career blocks list, passing Carrie Slagle for the milestone.
Setter Ashley Hand continued her strong season, totaling 41 assists for an average of 10.25 per set. She just missed a double-double, recording nine digs. Senior Lauren Toledo collected 12 digs for the second-straight match, ranking second on the Tech squad.
Right side Morgan Gish compiled five blocks on the night, adding six kills for good measure. Sophomore Emma Osterbur led the purple and gold with her three aces and chipped in nine digs.
Tech closes out its five-match homestand with a pair of tilts with in-state rival Austin Peay on Friday and Saturday. Friday's contest is set for a 6:00 p.m. CT start while Saturday's affair is slated to begin at 2:00 p.m.
Photo by Jim Dillon