By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech volleyball team will look to keep its unblemished mark in Ohio Valley Conference play in-tact this week, as the Golden Eagles embark on a four-game road swing with a two-match stretch at Tennessee State starting Thursday evening.
Tech and the Tigers will square off at 6:00 p.m. CT both on Thursday and again on Friday night. Both matches are slated to appear on ESPN+.
THE MATCHUPS
Thursday, September 29 – at Tennessee State, 6 p.m. | Live Video | Live Stats
Friday, September 30 – at Tennessee State, 6 p.m. | Live Video | Live Stats
TEAM NOTES
The purple and gold clinched a 2-0 start to OVC play for a second consecutive year for the first time since the 1993 and 1994 campaigns. Tech earned a pair of 3-0 sweeps over new league rival Southern Indiana, using dominant offense and solid defense to make quick work of the Screaming Eagles.
Freshman Jordan Karlen collected her second OVC Setter and Newcomer of the Week honors for her showing over the weekend, averaging a whopping 13.83 assists per set while leading the Tech offense to a .262 attack percentage. In Friday's tilt, Karlen delivered one of the best showings by a setter in program history, setting a new freshman program record for a three-set match in the rally-scoring era with an eye-popping 45 assists. That total ranked as the fourth-most during the rally-scoring era in a three-set match in school history as well. The rookie ranks second in the league with 9.42 assists per set.
Tech boasts three of the top-10 players ranked in hitting percentage in the OVC, led by senior middle blocker Taylor Dorsey and her .344 clip. Fellow middle Skylar Boom ranks fifth with a .295 efficiency while right side Morgan Gish is hitting .284 to rank seventh.
Outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen ranks fourth in the league with 0.46 service aces per set, compiling 24 so far on the year to rank second. Her 2.92 kills per set rank seventh in the conference while her 152 total terminations rank her fourth.
Libero McKenna Young ranks eighth in the OVC with 3.60 digs per set.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
(2022 record: 6-10, 0-3 OVC | Series Record: 50-19 | H: 26-8 | A: 23-11 | N: 1-0)
Libero Gina River-Ortiz claimed the OVC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second straight week. Rivera-Ortiz recorded her first double-double of the year scooping up 25 digs and 10 assists against UT-Martin. In the five-set loss to SEMO on Saturday, she had 33 assists and three aces. For the season she is second in the OVC in total digs (300) and digs per set (5.45). She also goes into the week leading in OVC matches in digs with 79 and digs per set at 6.58.
Kennedy Davis is leading the OVC in hitting percentage for the year swinging at a .347 clip for the season. She was nominated for Newcomer of the Week this past week.
Gabrielle Johnson is leading in OVC play in blocks with 20 and blocks per set with a 1.67 average per set.
Up Next
The Golden Eagles continue their longest road swing of the conference season, visiting Lindenwood for the first time in program history next weekend. Tech and the Lions will clash on Friday, Oct. 7 in a 6:00 p.m. tilt and finish the series off on Saturday, Oct. 8 with a 2:00 p.m. match.
Photo by Emily Armstrong
