MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball squad kept things close throughout its match against Ohio Valley Conference leader Lindenwood but the Skyhawks fell in three sets (22-25, 20-25, 22-25) tonight.
Freshman Maddy Gladson led UT Martin offensively this evening, compiling a career-high 10 kills on a .320 hitting percentage (just two errors in 25 swings). Kylie Surratt (nine kills, 13 digs) narrowly missed a double-double while Kayla Bryant and Jenna Vallée tacked on eight and seven kills, respectively. Hannah Haislip (career-best nine digs) and Katie Cruise (eight digs) split duties at setter, each handing out 13 assists apiece with near double-doubles.
Dylan Mott’s match-high 19 digs also guided the Skyhawks, who are now 3-12 overall with a 1-5 mark in OVC play.
The Lions (13-7, 7-1 OVC) scored the first four points of the match but UT Martin soon went on a 6-0 surge – keyed by two Kristin Phillips service aces and a pair of Bryant kills – to even the score at 10-10. A kill from Vallée kept the score level at 18-all before Lindenwood scored five unanswered. Despite the Skyhawks charging back to within one point at 23-22, the Lions were able to claim the opening stanza. Gladson and Bryant each had four kills while Mott secured eight digs in the first set.
UT Martin found itself in a 10-5 hole to start the second set but Surratt registered three consecutive kills to help get the Skyhawks back within striking distance. Gladson provided a trio of kills in a four-point stretch to help UT Martin shave its deficit to 20-19 but Lindenwood scored five of the final six points of the stanza to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Surratt slammed down six kills against only one miscue on 10 attacks (.500 hitting percentage) in the second set.
Phillips went off early in the third set, landing three straight kills to give the Skyhawks a 6-3 lead. Seven unanswered points gave the Lions their first lead of the final stanza at 14-10. UT Martin kept battling and eventually pulled within a single point on three separate occasions in the latter stages of the set. A Gladson kill helped the Skyhawks make the score 23-22 but Lindenwood came up with back-to-back points to cap off the match. Vallée (three kills in four attempts) and Mott (eight digs) were top performers for UT Martin in the final set.
The Skyhawks will look for a split against the Lions tomorrow when these two squads battle in a 2 p.m. matchup on ESPN+.
