By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech volleyball team will officially wrap up the 2023 regular season this weekend, playing host to Southeast Missouri in a pair of tilts in the Hooper Eblen Center.
Friday's match is slated for a 6:00 p.m. CT start in the Hoop while Saturday's action will begin at 7:00 p.m. following the Tech football game against Gardner-Webb. Both contests will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Dylan Vazzano providing coverage of the action.
Saturday's affair will represent Senior Day for the Golden Eagles, with graduate libero Olivia Taylor, senior outside hitter Katie DiRaimondo, and graduate middle blocker Skylar Boom each being recognized on the day.
THE MATCHUPS
Friday, November 10 – vs. Southeast Missouri, 6:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video
Saturday, November 11 – vs. Southeast Missouri, 7:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video
History vs. Southeast Missouri
Southeast Missouri owns a 44-16 lead in the all-time series, including a 17-10 mark in when the two sides compete Cookeville. Tech has captured each of the past three tilts between the two programs, the purple and gold's longest winning streak in the series. Last season, the Golden Eagles earned their first-ever season-series sweep of the Redhawks, besting SEMO 3-1 in back-to-back matches in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Preseason Honors
A trio of Golden Eagles picked up Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference honors, including sophomore setter Jordan Karlen, junior outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen, and graduate middle blocker Skylar Boom, the most Tech players earning preseason recognition since 2008.
Consistent Attack
Now in her third season as the top offensive weapon for the Golden Eagles, Isringhausen has continued to show the consistency that earned her All-OVC Second Team honors in 2021 and First Team recognition last season. The junior outside currently ranks fourth in the OVC in points with 4.07 per set, sixth in kills per set with a mark of 3.49, and ninth with 0.36 service aces per set.
Last week, Isringhausen was spectacular, racking up 4.78 kills per set while hitting .297 with 3.22 digs per set and two double-doubles in a pair of victories at Southern Indiana. She added another double-double with 15 kills and 13 digs against Morehead State on Tuesday. The Edwardsville native currently ranks tied for 11th in career service aces in Tech history.
Setting the Table
Sophomore Jordan Karlen ranks third in the league in assists per set on the season, averaging 9.82 per game. The reigning OVC Setter of the Year turned in an incredible weekend at Southern Indiana. Leading the team to a .269 attack, she turned in 12.56 assists per set and 2.33 digs per set while posting a double-double and securing career-highs in assists twice.
She secured another double-double against Morehead State on Tuesday, rolling off 41 helpers and a career-high 22 digs. The Janesville, Wis. native also recorded her 2,000th career assists in the match.
Finding Her Form
Rookie right side Ava Schubert currently ranks second among the Golden Eagles in kills, totaling 267 overall and averaging 2.50 per set on the year. The freshman tallied 4.44 per set over the weekend, hitting .419 with five blocks. She posted a season-high 21 kills on Saturday while smashing .432. Schubert tacked on a match-high 18 terminations in Tuesday's win over Morehead State.
Here Comes the Boom
Boom has established herself as one of the top middles in program history. The Louisville native currently ranks sixth in Tech history in both total blocks and block assists and 10th in solo rejections. This past weekend, she secured her first career double-double with 11 kills and 11 blocks at Southern Indiana. The veteran ranks first in the OVC in solo rejections, tied for second with 108 total blocks, sixth with 1.05 blocks per set, and sixth with 75 block assists.
The Defensive Specialist
Libero McKenna Young has been a steady presence for Tech this season, leading the team in digs and digs per set for the fourth straight year. Averaging 3.75 digs per set on the year, she ranks ninth in the OVC. The junior currently ranks fifth in program history in career digs and tied for ninth in service aces.
Photo by Jim Dillon
