By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Tennessee Tech beach volleyball team wrapped up action at its final non-conference event of the season on Saturday, completing two duels at the Blazer Beach Bash at the UAB Beach Volleyball Courts in Birmingham, Ala.
After dropping a pair of 5-0 decisions on day one to Southeastern Louisiana and host UAB, the Golden Eagles (3-14) made a little progress in their first match-up of the day against Missouri State (16-5), falling 4-1. Tech later lost an in-state battle with Chattanooga (19-5) in a tilt that did not count towards Ohio Valley Conference play, 5-0.
Putting one in the win column for the purple and gold against the Bears was the team's No. 2 pairing of senior Brooke Amann and freshman Alayna Pierce. The duo captured a pair of hard-earned wins in the duel, edging Missouri State's MacKenzie Steele and Amanda Cleary in straight sets by scores of 22-20 and 21-19.
At the No. 3 slot, senior Aleeya Jones and sophomore MK Roberts nearly opened their day with a first-set win, but the Bears' Morgan Sprague and Maddie Schrandt outlasted the Tech duo 23-21 before capturing the meeting with a 21-16 set-two win.
Squaring off with Chattanooga for the second time this season and the first time in non-conference action, Amann and Pierce dropped an absolute war of a first set against the Mocs' No. 2 pairing of McKenna Faychak and Maddie Lecik by a score of 26-24. UTC's side earned the win in set two with a 21-15 decision.
Competing at the No. 4 spot for Tech, seniors McKenna Young and Jazmine Yamilkoski nearly forced a third set with Chattanooga's Joy Courtright and Julia Lawrence after falling in the first 21-12. The veteran Golden Eagles were clipped in the end despite the need for extra points, 22-20.
Tech will wrap up the regular season next week with the second OVC weekend of competition in Morehead, Ky., taking on the Mocs in a rematch on Friday morning at 7:00 a.m. CT before taking on Lindenwood at 11:00 a.m. On Saturday, the purple and gold will square off with Eastern Illinois in a 9:00 a.m. match-up and conclude the weekend with a 3:00 p.m. showing against UT Martin.
File photo by Jim Dillon
