By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
MARTIN, Tenn. – It was a tough opening day of Ohio Valley Conference action for the Tennessee Tech beach volleyball team, as the Golden Eagles fell in a pair of duals with league foes Lindenwood and Chattanooga at the Skyhawk Beach Volleyball Complex in Martin, Tenn. on Friday.
Kicking off league play bright and early with an 8:00 a.m. CT tilt, the Golden Eagles (2-7, 0-2) waged war with the Lions (8-6, 1-0) in a back-and-forth battle, ultimately coming out on the wrong end of a 3-2 decision. Lindenwood took an early 1-0 lead with a 2-0 win in the No. 4 position, but the purple and gold answered back behind a clutch, three-set win by seniors Jazmine Yamilkoski and McKenna Young in the No. 5 slot.
The Tech veterans bounced back from a 22-20 loss in the opening set with a 21-16 win in the second. Yamilkoski and Young left little doubt in securing the tying point, locking down a 15-10 triumph in set three.
The Lions took back control of the lead at 2-1 behind a 2-0 showing at the No. 2 spot, but the Cookeville crew once again fired back, this time at the top of the lineup. Competing as Tech's No. 1 duo, senior Bella Powell and freshman Alayna Pierce fought hard in a 21-19 first-set loss, setting themselves up with plenty of momentum.
In set two, the pair controlled things the whole way while claiming a 21-13 win and forcing a third and decisive set. Powell and Pierce finished off the comeback in the third, out-pacing the Lions 15-11 to square the dual at 2-2.
In the No. 3 duals, senior Aleeya Jones and sophomore MK Roberts took the early lead with a 21-18 victory in the first set, but the Lions' Katie Bockhorst and Kaelyn Putz fought back to even the tilt with a 21-16 set-two win. Lindenwood completed the close victory in set three, edging the Golden Eagle pair 15-12.
Moving on to the second tango of the day, in-state rival Chattanooga (9-4, 1-0) took advantage of Tech's long battle with the Lions less than two hours prior, earning a 5-0 win to start its league year 1-0. The Mocs swept the first four bouts, but the No. 1 duo of Powell and Pierce refused to allow the Golden Eagles to go down without a fight.
After dropping the first set 21-17, the Tech pair rallied for a 21-19 win to square the dual at 1-1. UTC's Neva Clark and Corina Vale secured the 5-0 win behind a 15-12 decision in the third and final set.
The Golden Eagles will conclude the OVC's first weekend of play on Saturday, opening the day with a 12:00 p.m. CT dual against Eastern Illinois. The weekend will conclude for the purple and gold at 6:00 p.m. with a match-up against host UT Martin.
File photo by Brad Laux
