By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – With the Ohio Valley Conference race winding down, the Tennessee Tech volleyball team picked up a crucial two-match sweep, completing the victory march with a three-set victory over SIUE on Saturday.

Tech prevailed 25-23, 28-26 and 25-15. The Golden Eagles improve to 11-14 overall, 8-5 in the OVC. Tech continues the road trip this week as it heads to Evansville to take on Southern Indiana on Wednesday.

Bella Powell led the Golden Eagles with 12 kills, collecting seven digs and an assisted block. Tuva Falk was efficient as the freshman hit .412, picking up 10 kills on 17 swings, while Alayna Pierce had nine kills and 11 digs. Jordan Karlen put together 40 assists in the three sets.

Kyndia Smith led SIUE (12-13, 7-7 OVC) with eight kills and five digs, while Grace Nichols had seven kills, Kennedy Pike and Sophie Robinson six.

It was a heated match as there were 13 ties in both the first and second sets and eight in the third, while the lead swapped eight times in the first, five in the second and four in the third.

In the opening set, Tech was at set point at 24-20, but SIUE collected three straight kills to make it a one-point advantage before Powell cleared the slate with a kill for the 25-23 win.

In the second, Ava Schubert and Jordyn Milhouse blocked Sophie Robinson's attack, knotting the set at 23. After an SIUE attack error gave Tech set point, the Cougars tied it up again with a Robinson kill.

Schubert had a kill to put Tech back up 25-24, but Vienna Elliott squared things up with a kill. Pierce put the Golden Eagles up 26-25, then an SUIE block evened things up at 26. Karlen put Tech up 27-26 with a kill, then Karlen and Falk blocked Pike's effort to give the Golden Eagles the set win.

In the third set, following an 11-11 tie, Tech outscored SIUE 14-4 as the Golden Eagles cruised to the 25-15 victory.