By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech stars Madolyn Isringhausen and Jordan Karlen continued their spectacular 2024 campaigns with even more hardware to add to their respective trophy cases as the Ohio Valley Conference honored both individuals Monday afternoon with weekly awards.
For the sixth time this season and in her career, Isringhausen was selected as the league's Offensive Player of the Week, setting the program's single-season record for the honor. Karlen took home her sixth OVC Setter of the Week honor and the 12th such accolade of her career. It also represented Karlen's 15th total weekly award from the conference in her career, having earned a trio of Freshman of the Week nods on her way to OVC Freshman of the Year in 2022.
Isringhausen turned in arguably the best weekend of her career while helping Tech to a pair of victories over SIUE, averaging an absurd 6.71 kills per set while hitting a robust .435 with just seven attack errors on 92 attempts. She also piled up 1.14 blocks and 7.57 points per set. In Friday's 3-0 sweep of the Cougars, the senior smashed .432 with 19 terminations and 3.0 blocks for 20.5 points overall.
The Edwardsville, Ill. native delivered her best showing yet in the purple and gold on Senior Day on Saturday, erupting for a career-high 28 kills (tying for the second-most in a four-set match in the rally-scoring era in Tech history) while hitting .436. She chipped in two service aces and a season-high five blocks, totaling 32.5 points in the four-set win.
Karlen did a little bit of everything for the Golden Eagles, helping lead the purple and gold to a pair of wins over SIUE. The junior averaged 1.43 kills per set on a ridiculous .667 hitting percentage, 10.43 assists per set, 3.43 digs per set, and 0.43 blocks per set.
Flirting with a triple-double on Friday, Karlen secured six terminations, 33 assists, two service aces, and 10 digs, settling for her 14th double-double of the year. The Janesville, Wis. native followed it up with four kills, 40 helpers, two blocks, and 14 more scoops on Saturday, locking down her 15th double-double on the season.
The Golden Eagles host their final two matches in the Hooper Eblen Center of the year this week, playing host to Southern Indiana next Thursday and Friday. The two will square off in a 3:30 p.m. CT affair on Thursday, Nov. 14 and close the weekend with a 6:00 p.m. battle on Friday, Nov. 15.
Photos by Jim Dillon