By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech beach volleyball team will make the trip west for its first-ever postseason action, competing at the Ohio Valley Conference Championships at the Skyhawk Beach Volleyball Complex in Martin, Tenn. starting Thursday afternoon.
Ranked as the No. 4 seed in the league's postseason event, the Golden Eagles will square off with No. 5 Lindenwood for the third time this season, kicking off the tournament with a 1:00 p.m. CT dual. A Tech victory would result in another match Thursday evening, a 5:00 p.m. match-up with regular-season champion and No. 1 seed UT Martin.
If the Golden Eagles were to fall to Lindenwood, they would play their second dual of the tournament Friday in a noon tilt against a possibility of three different teams. The OVC Tournament uses a double-elimination format until the Championship Match, with a "Winner Take All" dual set for Saturday at 12:00 p.m. Every match of the OVC Tournament is slated to be streamed live on ESPN+.
Tech and Lindenwood split their season series down the middle, with the Lions capturing the first meeting back at the first OVC Weekend in Chattanooga in late March. Despite a valiant effort by the developing Golden Eagles, Lindenwood edged out a 3-2 win.
The purple and gold answered back in the rematch at the second OVC Weekend in Morehead, Ky. last weekend, besting the Lions in another 3-2 tilt. Deadlocked at 2-2, the No. 2 duo of Aleeya Jones captured the deciding point in exciting fashion. After winning the opening set, 21-19, the Tech combo fell in the second, 21-15, to set up a decisive third set. The Golden Eagle team took the win by the slimmest of margins, capturing a 15-13 win.
"We're really excited for the OVC tournament and feel like we're playing our best volleyball," Tech head coach Zach Weinberg expressed," which is exactly where you want to be at the end of the season. No one expects us to win this tournament, and that underdog, chip-on-the-shoulder mentality is exactly when we play our best ball.
"I hope we come out ready to take on whatever challenge comes at us, that we battle as a team, and leave everything on the sand. If we do that, the sky is the limit for what we're capable of in this tournament. Lindenwood is a good team and we've had two battles with them, so I know we're going to come out ready to work and win the rubber match."
Representing the purple and gold as the No. 1 pairing for the OVC Tournament are Skylar Boom and Jordan Karlen, fresh off a three-set win over Eastern Illinois in last weekend's regular-season finale in the top spot. In the No. 2 slot for the Golden Eagles, Aleeya Jones and Bella Powell will also look to build off their three-set triumph over the Panthers last weekend in the same spot.
Locking down the No. 3 position for the purple and gold, Madolyn Isringhausen and Brooke Amann will look to build on a 2-2 weekend, including wins over Lindenwood and Chattanooga. Competing as Tech's No. 4 duo, McKenna Young and Morgan Gish also turned in a 2-2 performance against the field last weekend.
Rounding out the lineup for the Golden Eagles in the No. 5 position, the combo of Jazmine Yamilkoski and Katie DiRaimondo aims to continue the success displayed in the regular season finale against the Panthers, a win in straight sets.
Photo by Emily Armstrong
