By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
OXFORD, Miss. – Defense was the key of the day for the Tennessee Tech volleyball team Saturday, as the Golden Eagles wrapped up play at the Ole Miss Invite with a 1-1 showing on the day. The purple and gold triumphed over South Dakota State, 3-1, before falling 3-0 to the host Rebels.
In the opening tilt of the day, the Golden Eagle defense was spectacular, accounting for a season-high 16.0 blocks and four-set-high 69 digs. Leading the defensive charge, veteran Skylar Boom racked up seven total rejections while adding five kills.
Redshirt rookie Ayanna Rodgers joined the block party fun, delivering five blocks and a season-high seven terminations. Outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen piled up three solo stops while recording her third double-double of the season. On top of her season-best 16 kills, the junior also turned in 10 digs and a pair of aces.
Setter Jordan Karlen also contributed three blocks while enjoying her second double-double of the year with 37 assists and 16 digs. Representing Tech's fifth team member with at least two blocks in the match was freshman Ava Schubert, producing two with 10 kills and an ace. Libero McKenna Young totaled a match-high 19 digs.
A back-and-forth battle was at hand early in the opening set, with neither side producing more than a four-point lead. The Jackrabbits looked ready to pull away, owning a 23-19 advantage following Tech's second timeout of the game.
The Golden Eagles responded, rolling off six straight points to steal a 25-23 victory and take the early 1-0 lead. Tech used its offense to claim the opener, crushing 17 kills to South Dakota State's 12.
The Jackrabbits looked to make a comeback in set two, jumping out to an 18-12 advantage with an eye on the third set. The purple and gold had other ideas, responding with a 6-0 run to even the score and keep SDSU within two points the rest of the way. In the end, South Dakota State gathered the deciding point for a 25-23 win.
Tech's defense truly went to work in the third set, turning around a 4-0 deficit, taking the lead at 8-7, and never looking back. Even after the Jackrabbits evened things at 20-20, the Golden Eagles promptly delivered a 5-0 run for a 25-20 win and a 2-1 lead in the match.
South Dakota State gave one last push towards victory in set four, taking a 20-19 lead late. Tech clapped back with three straight points to take the lead and closed things entirely with a 6-3 run for a 25-23 win.
It was the defense of Ole Miss that took over in the second match of the day, with the Rebels posting nine blocks to Tech's three. The home squad held off a solid opening by the visitors from Cookeville, holding off the Golden Eagles for a 25-23 win in the opening game. From that point on, the Rebels found their stride, defeating the purple and gold 25-16 and 25-15 to finish the day.
Outside hitter Bella Powell paced the Tech attack against Ole Mis, totaling nine for the match. Isringhausen contributed five with two aces, three digs, and two blocks while Rodgers tacked on five kills.
Karlen turned in her second double-double of the day and third of the year, distributing 20 assists with 11 digs. Young matched Karlen with a team-high 11 digs while fellow libero Aleeya Jones finished with seven.
Both Isringhausen and Rodgers claimed Ole Miss Invite All-Tournament honors. For Isringhausen, it marked the fourth such accolade of her career and first of the year, backed by 3.22 kills, 0.44 aces, 2.00 digs, and 0.56 blocks per set. Rodgers earned the first award of her young career after tallying 14 kills and five blocks.
Tech will conclude its pre-Ohio Valley Conference slate with a trip west for the UniWyo Invite in Laramie, Wyo. The Golden Eagles will square off with tournament host Wyoming in a 7:30 p.m. CT affair Thursday, Sept. 14 before wrapping things up on Friday, Sept. 15 with a 3:00 p.m. bout with Idaho State.
File photo by Jim Dillon
