By Jocelyn VerVelde, Sports Information Coordinator

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Fight. Scrappy. Aggressive. Words that describe the effort and play of the Tennessee Tech volleyball team Friday night as it took on the Ohio Valley Conference-leading Morehead State Eagles. Morehead State won the match, 3-0, but it was not a simple win.

With set scores of 25-20, 25-19, 25-21, the effort put forth by the Golden Eagles was rewarded by a standing ovation from much of the crowd at the Eblen Center.

The Golden Eagles were led offensively by senior Elise Robertson and junior Ellen Conti who each put away seven kills. Senior Ashleigh Hancock put up 22 assists, added four digs, one block, and one kill.

Sophomore Cody Dodd did her part to help stifle the Eagle offense by tallying six blocks. Joining her in the blocks were junior Madison Keyes, sophomore Audrey Lewis, and Robertson, who each recorded three blocks.

Morehead State was led by Laura McDermott with 12 kills, hitting an impressive .364 percent. Setter Colbey Cameron added 27 assists while Aryn Bohannon tallied nine kills and 11 digs.

In the closing set, the Golden Eagles showed their true resiliency. Down two sets out of the intermission, all looked lost, but without a doubt, Tech fought. Trailing early, the Golden Eagles needed to make a run, and that they did. Down 20-14, Tech forced three Morehead State errors to cut the lead to 20-17. Another Tech run closed the set to within two, 23-21, as Robertson put down a kill and teamed up with Dodd for back-to-back blocks. However, the undefeated Eagles were looking to keep it that way and closed the set and the match with a 25-21 win in the third set.

Down 17-7 in the first set, Tech used both their serving and offense to generate points. Three kills, two aces, and aggressive serving helped the Golden Eagles cut the Morehead State lead to just four at 20-16. But the push was not quite enough, as the Golden Eagles dropped the opening set, 25-20.

Again starting from behind, Tech opened up set two down 8-2. But the scrappiness and fight of the Golden Eagles helped them to claw their way to just a three-point deficit at 12-9. However it just was not enough as the MSU Eagles took set two, 25-19. 

Tech out blocked Morehead State nine blocks to three, while putting away 30 kills as a team, and making two less hitting errors than the Eagles.

The Golden Eagles return to the floor Saturday at 2 p.m. CDT as the take on the Eastern Kentucky Colonels.