MARTIN, Tenn. – The bid for another Ohio Valley Conference championship for the University of Tennessee at Martin beach volleyball program officially starts this weekend in Ozark, Mo.
The Skyhawks are one of six teams taking part in a tournament hosted by Missouri State on Friday, Feb. 23 through Saturday, Feb. 24. UT Martin will take on Louisiana-Monroe and Missouri State on Day 1 of the event before clashing against Hendrix College and Southwest Baptist on Day 2.
Eight of UT Martin’s 10 returners won at least 13 matches in 2023 – a season where the Skyhawks set an OVC record for victories (27, against only nine losses). UT Martin went 10-0 in league play before sweeping the OVC’s regular season and tournament championships for the second consecutive year.
As a direct result, the Skyhawks are receiving national preseason buzz as UT Martin received votes in the first edition of the American Volleyball Coaches Association top-25 poll released last Friday.
Six players who received OVC postseason accolades a year ago are back for head coach Jaclynn Wilson in 2024, led by Dylan Mott. The redshirt junior was voted as the No. 3 returning player in the OVC after collecting 21 wins while playing at No. 1 for a majority of the 2023 campaign. Senior Olivia O’Keefe was tabbed as the sixth-best returner in the OVC after the senior dialed up 24 victories, mostly out of the No. 2 position. Haeleigh Paulino (ranked the No. 10 returner in the OVC) also returns for her graduate season as she notched 28 victories (playing primarily at No. 4) in 2023.
Junior Jenna Vallée was an All-OVC first team performer last season, earning a team-best 29-5 record while competing mostly out of the No. 4 pairing. Reining All-OVC second teamer Addy Vaughn played solely at No. 3 as a redshirt sophomore and generated 25 wins a year ago while OVC All-Freshman Kayla Bryant piled up a 14-6 record out of the No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 slots last spring.
Graduate Kayla Carrell returns as the two-time All-OVC selection owns the second-most individual victories (61) in school history – 24 of which came last season while playing at No. 4 and No. 5. Ryan Rednour boasted a 13-3 record in 2023 – including a perfect 3-0 mark in the 2023 OVC Championship tournament alongside Carrell at No. 5 – and is back for her senior campaign.
Completing the Skyhawk returners are a pair of 6-2 players in Halle Everett (redshirt junior who primarily took part in the No. 6 pairings last spring) and Kristin Phillips (redshirt sophomore who went 1-0 at No. 5 in 2023).
Six newcomers dot the 2024 UT Martin roster although two players (Sydney Eckhardt and Reagan McGee) represented the Skyhawks at the AVCA Fall Collegiate Beach Championships qualifier held in Huntsville, Ala. last October. Eckhardt brings collegiate experience as she occupied No. 1 and No. 2 positions over two seasons at Jacksonville while McGee is a freshman with impressive credentials while competing on the Beach Elite 18 Adidas Black club program based out of Virginia Beach, Va.
Dallas Baptist transfer Dylan Sulcer has likely shored up a starting spot after the freshman has put together an impressive preseason. Junior Josie Hess is battling injury as the season is on the horizon while freshmen Katie Cruise and Tess McConnell – coming off indoor campaigns at Appalachian State and Kansas City, respectively – will look to make their UT Martin sand debuts this spring.
