By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech volleyball team hits the road for a trip south to take on Ohio Valley Conference foe Jacksonville State, kicking off a two-match slate Sunday at 7:00 p.m. CT.
The match will follow the Golden Eagles football game against the Gamecocks set for 3:00 p.m. Match two, which will be streamed on ESPN+, is set for a 4:00 p.m. start on Monday.
THE MATCHUPS
Sunday, February 28 – at Jacksonville State, 7 p.m. | Live Stats
Monday, March 1 – at Jacksonville State, 4 p.m. | Live Video | Live Stats
TEAM NOTES
Tech hits the road for the first time since opening weekend, making a visit to undefeated Jacksonville State. The Golden Eagles have won each of their past four matches after falling in the first two of the season at Austin Peay. The purple and gold swept Eastern Illinois two weeks ago and followed it with wins of 3-0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-15) and 3-2 (23-25, 26-24, 25-9, 23-25, 15-11) over Eastern Kentucky last weekend.
It was another strong showing from Preseason All-OVC selections Ali Verzani and Taylor Dorsey in the team's sweep of the Colonels, with the two leading the purple and gold in points. Verzani posted a team-high 22 kills with seven service aces, 16 digs and six blocks. All seven aces came in match one, tying for the second-most in a single match in program history.
Dorsey boasted 18 kills on a .394 hitting percentage while blocking 13 balls for 26.5 points. In the second match, she was a machine in recording her second career double-double with 13 kills and 10 total blocks.
Verzani took control in the second match, recording a double-double with a team-high 13 kills and 10 digs on the back of a .478 hitting percentage. Dorsey hit .500 with eight kills and five more blocks to continue her great home-opening weekend.
Redshirt sophomore Madeline Furtado turned in a big weekend, totaling 21 kills on a .259 hitting percentage with 19 digs. She produced her first career double-double in the five-set thriller, accounting for a career-high-tying 11 kills and new self standard of 12 digs.
Freshman McKenna Young had a strong showing on the weekend as well, establishing a new season-high of 20 digs in the second match against the Colonels. The libero tallied 29 digs for the weekend with three service aces.
SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
(2020-21 record: 6-0, 6-0 OVC | Series Record: 11-26 | H: 6-12 | A: 3-14 | N: 2-0)
Jacksonville State represents one of two undefeated teams remaining in the OVC, joining Morehead State at a perfect 6-0 on the abbreviated year. The Gamecocks enter the weekend after sweeping Tennessee State on the road last week in a pair of 3-0 decisions. JSU was picked second in the league's preseason predicted order of finish.
Preseason All-OVC selections Lena Indermann and Lexie Libs have paced the hot start for the Gamecocks on the year. A junior outside hitter, Kindermann leads her team with 82 kills, ranks second in the league with 4.32 kills per set and boasts the third-best hitting percentage in the OVC, a mark of .381.
Libs leads the conference with 11.74 assists per set, turning in 223 total on the year. Both Kindermand and Libs took home weekly honors from the OVC two weeks ago, earning Offensive Player of the Week and Setter of the Week, respectively.
Ranking second on the team with 72 kills and sixth in the league with 3.60 kills per set is freshman Courtney Glotzbach. She also took home OVC honors two weeks ago, claiming Newcomer of the Week accolades.
Junior middle blocker and Southern Utah transfer Katie Montgomery leads the Gamecocks with 14 blocks and 13 service aces on the year. She is fresh off her own OVC Newcomer of the Week honors, claiming the nod after the team's sweep of TSU.
Up Next
The Golden Eagles are set to return to the Hooper Eblen Center to host another undefeated opponent (heading into the weekend) in Morehead State. Match one is slated for a 7:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, Mar. 7. The second match of the week will take place on Monday, Mar. 8 at 5:00 p.m.
Photo by Jim Dillon
