By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – A historic and record-breaking campaign came to a close Monday afternoon, as the Tennessee Tech volleyball team fell in a thrilling, 3-2 affair to Lindenwood in the semifinals of the 2024 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament at Houck Field House in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
The No. 3 Golden Eagles (24-8) and No. 2 Lions (22-10) waged war throughout the afternoon, with both sides leaving it all on the line. In the end, execution along the margins proved to be the difference, with Lindenwood holding edges in the number of attack errors and service errors.
Set one was an instant classic for the OVC Tournament record books, watching the two sides fight back and forth. The Lions took a four-point lead at 17-13, but the Golden Eagles swung momentum back on their side with a 6-1 run for a 20-18 lead of their own.
Neither side could put the other one away, with the two trading blows until a pair of kills by the Lions provided a clutch, 31-29 victory. The purple and gold suffered six errors at the service line in the set, including three over the final six points.
The Cookeville crew evened the match at 1-1 behind a relatively dominant second set, using a 7-0 run midway through to break away. Tech claimed a 25-16 victory, hitting .273 while holding Lindenwood to just seven total terminations.
Lindenwood answered back in set three, rolling out to a 10-point advantage and holding it at 18-8. The purple and gold mounted a fierce comeback bid, pulling back to within four points. The Lions finished off the set for a 25-20 win, but Tech took the momentum to its side.
The Golden Eagles used the swing of energy to take an early advantage in set four and never relinquished it. Tech forced set five by dropping four straight points for a 25-18 victory.
The Lions took control of the fifth set, moving in front by a pair of points and keeping the Golden Eagles behind the rest of the way. Lindenwood advanced to Tuesday's OVC Championship match with a 15-10 victory in the set.
Closing out her storied Golden Eagle career, senior outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen put to cap to her final campaign with 25 kills and 19 digs for her 12th double-double of the year. The effort clinched the Edwardsville, Ill. native a number of single-season program records for the rally-scoring era, including kills (559), kills per set (4.90), service aces (59), service aces per set (0.52), points (642.0), and points per set (5.63).
Isringhausen concluded her five-year stretch in Cookeville saw her finish first among career leaders for the program with 2,011.0 points, second with 1,721 kills, 4,737 attacks, and 169 service aces, third with 0.36 aces per set and 4.21 points per set, fourth with 476 sets played, fifth with 3.62 kills per set, and ninth with 127 matches played.
The 2024 OVC Player of the Year, All-OVC First Teamer, and eight-time OVC Offensive Player of the Year also finished off her historic career ranked among the league's best as well. Isringhausen ended her run ranked ninth OVC history in attempts and 10th in kills.
Also finishing off a storied career with the purple and gold, senior libero McKenna Young piled up 23 digs with four assists on the day. The Murfreesboro, Tenn. native finished her Tech tenure first in program history with 521 sets played, second with 2,090 assists, fourth with 4.01 digs per set, fifth with 139 matches played, and ninth with 127 service aces. For good measure, Young also completed her career 14th in OVC history in digs.
Junior setter Jordan Karlen piled up 56 assists in the match, her second-highest total of the season. She added five kills, six digs, an ace, and a block to the Tech effort. Freshman Alayna Pierce rocked out 11 kills, a match-high three aces, and 12 digs, inking her eighth double-double of the season.
Senior outside Bella Powell also tacked on 11 kills for the Golden Eagles in her final tilt in the purple and gold. She also mixed in six digs. Rookie middle blocker Mallory Jenkins hit .364 with nine kills and four total blocks.
Senior defensive specialist Aleeya Jones delivered nine digs and an ace in her last appearance in a Tech uniform while senior outside Brooke Amann tallied three kills and three digs. Also closing out her career, senior middle Emma Pabon finished with four terminations and three blocks.
Photo by Jahmil Taylor, OVC Director of Creative Content
