By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
ST. CHARLES, MO. – Incredible resolve and fight propelled the Tennessee Tech volleyball team to a spectacular comeback at Lindenwood Friday evening, as the Golden Eagles clawed back from a 2-0 deficit to down their first-time Ohio Valley Conference rival in a 3-2 thriller at Robert F. Hyland Arena.
Facing the Lions (5-10, 2-4) for the first time in program history, the purple and gold completed its first rally from a 2-0 deficit since accomplishing the feat last season at UT Martin on Oct. 30, 2021.
Lindenwood opened the night with a 25-15 win in the opening set, making a statement in its first home match of the season by hitting .444 with 14 kills. The Lions followed it up with another 25-15 victory in set two, racking up 16 kills with a .325 efficiency.
In need of a turnaround, and immediately, the Golden Eagles took advantage of the break between sets two and three. The Cookeville crew burst out of the break to a 4-0 lead and never let the Lions back in it the rest of the way, jumping out by as much as 10 points in a 25-18 win.
Middle blocker Skylar Boom led the charge in the set, racking up five kills and a block while hitting .625. Tech piled up a match-high 17 kills in the set, blasting .372 as a unit.
Set four proved tighter right out of the gate, but the Golden Eagles pulled away from a 7-6 lead over time, building the lead out to as high as seven points with another 25-18 win. The purple and gold clobbered the ball to a .500 attack percentage, with middle Taylor Dorsey leading the way with five of the team's 11 terminations in the set.
Tech carried its momentum into the fifth and decisive set, jumping out to an 8-3 lead to force Lindenwood's second timeout. The home squad responded with three straight points to trim things to a two-point lead.
Golden Eagle head coach Jeannette Phillips called for a timeout. With a 4-1 run from the Lions after the break, she called for the team's second, settling the group down and finalizing the game plan for the remarkable finish.
The purple and gold retaliated the final Lindenwood push, striking back with a 6-1 sprint to the finish behind five kills and a solo block. Right side Morgan Gish provided the stop to make it a 14-11 Golden Eagle lead and then put the cherry on top of the 15-11 win her fourth termination of the set.
Playing close to her hometown in Edwardsville, Ill. (just 35 miles away), outside Madolyn Isringhausen turned in a double-double with high efficiency. The sophomore gathered a match-high 16 kills and 11 digs with two total blocks, all while hitting .324.
Dorsey added fuel to the fire with a robust .545 attack percentage and 14 kills while also blocking two attempts from the Lions. Gish was all over the place for the Golden Eagles, smashing .409 with 11 kills, five digs, and three total rejections.
Joining the double-digit termination crew was outside Madeline Furtado, totaling 10 on the night. Rookie Jordan Karlen dished around 47 assists in the contest, also adding five digs and pair of blocks. Libero McKenna Young led the Golden Eagles with 13 digs and a pair of service aces.
The Golden Eagles will look to complete the weekend sweep Saturday afternoon, squaring off with the Lions one more time at 2:00 p.m. CT.
File photo by Jim Dillon