By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Clutch play and another impressive comeback paced the Tennessee Tech volleyball team to its seventh straight victory Saturday evening, as the Golden Eagles celebrated Senior Night in style with a monster, 3-0 win over Southeast Missouri in the Hooper Eblen Center.
The team's first 3-0 sweep of Ohio Valley Conference play couldn't have come at a better time, as the purple and gold clinched its fourth straight OVC Tournament bid (not counting the COVID-19 spring season in 2020-21 that had a reduced field) with the win. For the Golden Eagles (13-16, 9-9), it represented their fifth consecutive victory over the Redhawks (20-7, 12-4), the program's longest win streak in series history.
Tech reigned supreme to complete the weekend sweep behind another strong offensive showing and more resiliency, hitting .298 with eight blocks and multiple rallies. Opening the match, it was SEMO that got off the bump quickly, rushing out to a 5-1 advantage.
The Cookeville crew battled back, took its own lead, and then battled some more up to a 19-19 tie. It was all Tech from then on, as the Golden Eagles powered through a 6-2 run for a 25-21 victory.
It was 15 terminations, a .312 hitting percentage, and three service aces that propelled the purple and gold past the pesky Redhawks. Things only got more intense from there.
In set two, Southeast Missouri opened up a five-point lead at 13-8 to try and put its stamp on the match, but Tech would have none of it. The Golden Eagles executed seven straight points to take a two-point lead of their own. Back-and-forth the scoring went until the very end when the purple and gold gathered back-to-back kills from junior outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen and freshman right side Ava Schubert to lock down a 25-23 win and 2-0 lead.
Another 16 kills and three blocks contributed to the second-set win, but it would take a whole new level of play for the Cookeville crew to pull off the Senior Night sweep.
SEMO put forth its best effort yet to open the third set, building a six-point lead at 14-8. The Golden Eagles started chipping away, taking a big chunk out of the deficit with a 4-0 run. Tech finally squared the game at 19-19, with an ace from outside hitter Bella Powell.
Back-to-back points by the Redhawks forced Tech to call a timeout and the team responded, as the purple and gold rolled off three in a row to take its own lead again. Two service errors and a timely kill kept Southeast Missouri in the mix beyond regulation, with the score squared once more at 24-24.
Powell smashed a kill on a play that resulted in an unsuccessful challenge by the Redhawks, forcing the visitors from Cape Girardeau, Mo. to call their final timeout. The Palmyra, Ill. native then paired with graduate middle blocker Skylar Boom on the match-winning block to secure a 26-24 decision.
The purple and gold pulverized 18 kills on .385 efficiency in the final set, racking up three aces and three blocks as well.
Isringhausen led t
he Golden Eagles with 14 terminations on the night, hitting .278 with two more service aces and two blocks. Joining the double-digit kill club with 11 and a team-high 12 digs was Powell, who recorded her seventh double-double of the season. She also added three blocks and three aces.
Schubert rounded out the Tech trio in double-figures in kills, securing 10 terminations with a .278 attack. Junior middle blocker Emma Pabon registered eight kills while hitting a whopping .500 on the evening and tying for the team lead with three rejections.
Sophomore setter Jordan Karlen delivered another impressive performance on the night, tallying her 14th double-double of the season. The Janesville, Wis. native fired off 43 assists with 10 digs and two aces, averaging an incredible 14.33 assists per set. Junior libero McKenna Young chipped in 11 digs, an ace, and three assists to the effort.
Boom racked up six kills and three blocks while graduate defensive specialist Olivia Taylor posted two digs. Boom, Taylor, and senior outside hitter Katie DiRaimondo were all honored following the match in a Senior Night ceremony.
The Golden Eagles will enter their bye week of OVC play secured with a spot in the league's postseason tournament, but little else is known. The tournament dates, times, and locations will be determined next Wednesday and Thursday during the OVC's final week of action. Please check TTUSports.com for updates regarding volleyball's next match.
Photos by Jim Dillon
