By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – It was a historic start to the 2024 season for the Tennessee Tech volleyball team Friday, as the Golden Eagles delivered back-to-back sweeps of in-state rivals Austin Peay and Memphis at the Carrier Yerty Classic.
The purple and gold opened the morning with a 3-0 victory over the Govs before returning to the court to take on tournament host Memphis in an evening affair at the Larry O. Finch Center. Another 3-0 romp provided the Golden Eagles with their first set of sweeps to open a season since the 1985 team defeated Evansville and South Alabama in a pair of 3-0 decisions.
Tech found its stride in the opening set while facing some adversity down the stretch. After seeing as much as a five-point lead evaporate as the Govs tied things at 22-22, Golden Eagle head coach Jeannette Phillips called a timeout to rally the troops.
A pair of Bella Powell kills sandwiched an Austin Peay attack error as the purple and gold rolled off three straight to take the first game 25-22.
In set two, the Cookeville crew slowly worked its way out ahead, eventually building a six-point advantage and never looking back on the way to a 25-20 victory and 2-0 lead. Set three was a battle at the start, with neither side able to pull away until late.
After a challenge by the Govs overturned a potentially critical point by the Golden Eagles and closed the lead to 15-14, Tech responded with five straight points. Another 3-0 run all but cemented the win for the purple and gold, an eventual 25-18 decision.
There was brilliant play to go around in the opener, with senior outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen leading the charge with an impressive 18 kills on a .244 attack. She added two service aces and five digs to the effort. Junior setter Jordan Karlen doled out 26 assists and piled up 14 digs to earn her first double-double of the year, chipping in three blocks on the side. Senior libero McKenna Young registered 15 digs to lead the Golden Eagles while contributing six helpers as well.
Making her collegiate debut in impressive fashion, middle blocker Mallory Jenkins chalked up seven terminations and five total blocks while hitting a solid .385. Fellow freshman Katie Green produced a pair of aces in her debut. Powell chipped in six kills and five blocks in the tilt.
It was a match of runs for the Golden Eagles against Memphis, with Tech's ability to string together points as the leading factor in the win. After trailing 15-14 in the first set of the evening, the purple and gold picked up three straight to move back in front following the media break.
Tech extended the lead with a five-point run later in the game to pull off an impressive 25-21 win to set the tone early. The Cookeville crew hit a robust .405 in the opening set, securing 17 kills and a pair of aces.
Moving on to set two, it was pure domination by the Golden Eagles from the start. Bursting out of the gate to the tune of an 8-2 lead, Tech continued to build on its advantage throughout the game without ever letting the Tigers back to within three points.
With 11 kills, three blocks, and 10 attack errors by Memphis, the purple and gold cruised to a 25-14 triumph to move out in front 2-0. The Tigers seemed to take the blowout personally, jumping on the Golden Eagles early in set three for a 7-2 lead.
Tech calmly and methodically worked its way right back into the set, however, squaring things at 8-8. Biding their time for the right moment to strike, the Golden Eagles finally broke away following a 17-17 stalemate, dropping four straight points with a trio of kills.
The momentum shift proved enough for Tech to lock down its second 3-0 win of the day with a 25-22 decision in the final set.
Again it was Isringhausen wrecking her way to the top of the kills list, piling up another 15 against the Tigers while hitting an eye-popping .382. She just missed out on her first double-double of the year, notching nine digs.
Karlen was a technician with the offense, distributing 34 assists with three kills of her own and five digs. Senior outside Brooke Amann played a critical role, particularly early in the match, securing eight kills and 12 digs overall. Powell turned in another eight kills of her own on an impressive .375 attack to go along with two blocks.
Senior middle blocker Emma Pabon smashed .500 with six kills and two blocks while senior libero Aleeya Jones dropped in three aces and nine digs. Young closed out her strong day with 13 more digs to lead to the match.
Tech will wrap up action at the Carrie Yerty Classic on Saturday morning, squaring off with Mississippi Valley State in a 10:00 a.m. CT match in Memphis.
File photo by Jim Dillon
