By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Even though Tuesday marked the first-ever meetings between Tennessee Tech and both Jacksonville State and Austin Peay in the sport of beach volleyball, there was still enough familiarity to go around as the Golden Eagles split the day of duals in Clarksville against the two former Ohio Valley Conference programs.
Tech (6-10) opened the day with a dominant, 5-0 victory over Jacksonville State (0-9), winning four of the five duals in straight sets. It marked the first sweep by the Golden Eagles over a Division I foe in program history.
Teaming up in the No. 5 position to set the tone for the day, Ava Schubert and McKenna Young made quick and easy work of their opponents from the Gamecocks. The two dished out a 21-14 decision in the opening set before finishing things off with a 21-13 triumph in the second.
Jazmine Yamilkoski and Katie DiRaimondo paired together at the No. 4 slot to earn their own straight-sets dub. The combo stormed out of the gates for a 21-11 win before edging the Jax State side in the second, 22-20.
It was the No. 2 tandem of MK Roberts and Skylar Boom that delivered the clinching blow in the match, rolling to a pair of statement victories. The duo produced not one, but two massive wins of 21-9 for the 3-0 lead.
For good measure, Tech's No. 3 dance partners tangoed to another win in straight sets. Brooke Amann and Aleeya Jones topped their Gamecock counterparts by scores of 21-14 and 21-16.
It took three sets, but the No. 1 squad of Bella Powell and Madolyn Isringhausen finished off the shutout, rebounding from a 21-18 defeat in the opening set. The purple and gold partners presented a 21-17 win to square the tilt before hammering the final nail in for a 15-12 victory.
"It was an up and down day today, but I was proud of how we competed," Tech head coach Zach Weinberg said. "It's always great to set some program history with our first 5-0 win over a Division I opponent, especially with how in control we were in that dual."
The script was flipped in the second dual of the day for the Golden Eagles, as Austin Peay defended its home turf to the tune of a 5-0 win. The Govs picked up straight-set wins in four of the five duals as well, with the exception of the No. 3 position.
Amann and Jones made their in-state rivals work for the win, avenging a 21-9 loss in the opening set with a 21-16 victory in the second. All knotted up at 1-1, the Govs completed the day with a 15-6 win in the third set.
"I don't love how we approached the afternoon with Austin Peay," Weinber explained. "We were always on our back foot against a good team. Ultimately, today prepared us for our second OVC weekend, which is why we had this day of duals. We'll continue improving and be ready to have the best performance we can in Martin next week to best prepare us for the OVC Tournament."
Next on tap for the Golden Eagles is the second Ohio Valley Conference weekend of the year, taking place in Martin from Friday, Apr. 19 through Saturday, Apr. 20. Tech will take on Lindenwood at 8:00 a.m. CT before squaring off with Chattanooga at 12:00 p.m. Day two will feature a 12:00 p.m. tilt with host UT Martin and a 4:00 p.m. match-up against Eastern Illinois.
File photo by Jim Dillon
