By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A remarkable comeback bid fell just short for the Tennessee Tech volleyball team Saturday evening, as the Golden Eagles fell to visiting Eastern Illinois in the Hooper Eblen Center, 3-2.
Falling behind 2-0 quickly on the night, the purple and gold delivered a pair of thrilling victories in the third and fourth sets to record its sixth straight home match to reach five sets.
The Panthers (19-2, 9-1) looked well on their way to a 3-0 sweep on the night, delivering back-to-back victories of 25-19 in the opening two sets. In the first set, EIU snapped a 13-13 draw and outscored the Golden Eagles (6-16, 2-9) 12-6 down the stretch.
The visitors from Charleston, Ill. used an early 4-0 run in the second set to pull away for good, never relinquishing the lead again on their way to another six-point victory. Eastern Illinois hit .325 with 17 kills in the first game and used four service aces with 12 kills in the second set to push out front by a pair.
Things looked bleak for the Cookeville crew in set three, as EIU stretched its lead out to eight points at 15-7. Calling for the team's second timeout in the third, Tech head coach Jeannette Phillips rallied the troops and the comeback was on.
A 5-1 run forced the Panthers into their own break from action, trying to snuff out the fire of the Golden Eagles. It did little to quell Tech's energy, as another run of 6-2 squared things at 18-18. Neither side pulled out by more than two the rest of the way, with the purple and gold eventually outlasting the visitors, 28-26.
After a back-and-forth start to set four, Tech broke away from an 8-8 stalemate to take a 17-12 advantage. The Panthers made things interesting, closing the gap and taking back control with a 22-21 lead. The effort failed to pay off, as Phillips called for a timeout to help her squad regroup and the Golden Eagles used the opportunity to fire back with a 4-1 run and capture a 25-23 win.
Eastern Illinois showed just why it ranked at the top of the Ohio Valley Conference standings following the weekend, busting out of the gates in set five to take a 3-0 lead. The advantage ballooned to 9-3 before Tech's final timeout allowed the home squad to prepare one final salvo.
The break seemed to work, as the purple and gold fired off three straight points of its own. Tech brought the gap back to three later in the set at 11-8, but the Panthers turned in one final run to pull away with a 15-9 win to capture the match.
For the second night in a row, graduate middle blocker Skylar Boom was brilliant for the Golden Eagles, leading the team with 17 kills and eight total blocks. The Louisville native hit .314 while pacing Tech with 22.0 total points on the night.
Rookie right side Ava Schubert produced 14 kills with a .250 hitting percentage and added two blocks of her own as part of a strong performance. Outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen also registered double figures in kills, locking down 13 while securing eight digs as well.
Libero McKenna Young was all over the court for the Golden Eagles, leading the match with a season-high 25 digs while chipping in two service aces. Sophomore setter Jordan Karlen turned in 48 assists, eight digs, three blocks, and three terminations. Defensive specialist Aleeya Jones tallied two service aces and 11 digs while outside hitter Bella Powell piled up a season-high 14 digs with three blocks, two aces, and four kills.
The Golden Eagles are set to embark on a four-match road swing, starting with its first OVC road trip to Macomb, Ill. for a pair of tilts at Western Illinois. Tech will square off with the Leathernecks in a 6:00 p.m. CT match on Thursday, Oct. 26 and again on Friday, Oct. 27 at 3:00 p.m.
Photo by Jim Dillon
