By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – In another marathon match at the Tech Beach Courts, it was Morehead State that claimed the win Saturday afternoon, topping the Tennessee Tech beach volleyball team by the same 3-2 score that the Golden Eagles used to defeat the Eagles on Friday.
For the second straight day, all five scoring duals in the match-up took three sets to decide a winner. This time, however, Morehead (6-6, 2-4) claimed the final advantage in three of the five pairings to top Tech (5-9, 2-4). The Eagles scraped out wins at the Nos. 2, 3, and 4 positions, rallying from first-set losses in all three.
"Today was a story of missed opportunities," Tech head coach Zach Weinberg explained, "opportunities to close out sets and close out matches that we didn't capitalize on and Morehead did. Good teams don't give you too many good opportunities, and in another 3-2 dual where all five matches went three sets, we need to be better about taking them when we have them. It's a tough loss to swallow, but just like how yesterday was a team win, today is a team loss and we will keep growing through it and getting better together."
Just like on Friday evening, it was Tech's No. 5 duo of Jazmine Yamilkoski and Katie DiRaimondo setting the tone early for the purple and gold, bouncing back from a first-set loss of 21-14. The dance partners evened things up with a 21-15 victory in the second set before edging the Eagles 15-11 in the decisive set three.
"Katie and Jaz battled in the 5's and once again secured us the first point of the dual," Weinberg said. "The two of them took a big step in their growth as a duo this weekend and I look forward to seeing that combo continue to evolve."
Securing a second point for the Cookeville crew to finish 2-0 for the weekend was the No. 2 two-step of Bella Powell and Madolyn Isringhausen. The duo flipped the script on Morehead to pick up their win, avenging a 21-16 loss in the opening set.
In set two, Powell/Irsinghausen pairing exacted some revenge with a 21-15 win before unleashing some frustration in the third set. They finished off the comeback with a 15-3 blowout in the closing game.
"Maddie and Bella are the most athletic 1's pair in the OVC and they can do things because of their length and athletic ability that others simply can't," Weinberg expressed, "and for the first time this season, they used all of that ability for good. After dropping a first set that we felt like they were in control of, they truly controlled the next two sets, including a 15-3 dominating third set for the win. Winning at the 1's is hard, and for them to get two wins at that slot this weekend really changes their season trajectory. I'm proud of those two for battling and finding ways to win matches."
Next up for the Golden Eagles are a pair of duals in Clarksville, Tenn. on Tuesday, Apr. 9. Tech will take on Jacksonville State in a 12:30 p.m. CT tilt before squaring off with host Austin Peay in a 3:00 p.m. affair.
Photo by Jim Dillon
