NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A scintillating .308 attack percentage and 16 service aces led to a University of Tennessee at Martin victory today as the Skyhawks outlasted Tennessee State by a 3-2 margin (22-25, 25-14, 25-19, 23-25, 15-9) in Ohio Valley Conference volleyball action.
The hitting percentage and service ace totals were both season-highs as UT Martin flew past the previous benchmark of .292 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Sept. 6) and doubling the prior season-high in service aces (set three times). The 16 service aces were one shy of the school record, previously set six times and as recently as Sept. 20, 2014 against Stetson.
Kristin Phillips led the Skyhawks (5-16, 3-9 OVC) with 14 kills on a .385 attack percentage today while Kylie Surratt (13 kills) and Addy Vaughn (12 kills on a .435 hitting percentage) also reached double figures in the kill column. Katie Cruise (29 assists) and Hannah Haislip (19 assists) directed the efficient offensive attack.
On the defensive end, Dylan Mott scooped up a team-best 17 digs with a career-high five service aces and six assists. Vaughn was responsible for a team-high five blocks while Cruise narrowly missed a double-double with nine digs. Kayla Bryant also produced a solid all-around effort as the junior from Louisville, Ky. landed a career-best six service aces to go along with nine kills, a .250 attack percentage and five digs today.
Both sides jostled for momentum in the early stages of the opening set. After the Tigers took a 13-9 advantage, UT Martin charged back to knot the score at 14-all. Tennessee State responded with six of the next seven points before two kills and two block assists out of Maddy Gladson pulled the Skyhawks back within one as late as 23-22. However, the Tigers scored back-to-back points to take a 1-0 lead in the match. UT Martin hit .346 in the first stanza while Vaughn rejected three blocks.
The next two sets were an offensive clinic for the Skyhawks, starting with a .417 attack percentage (12 kills against just two errors in 24 swings) in the second stanza. Surratt began the second set with back-to-back kills to help UT Martin take a 10-5 lead. The Skyhawk lead shrunk to two points before a 9-0 run iced the set for UT Martin. Mott had a pair of service aces while four different Skyhawks (Cruise, Bryant, Jenna Vallée and Phillips) each had kills during the extended surge.
UT Martin hit .448 with 17 kills in the third stanza, led by five kills in six attempts from Phillips (.667 attack percentage). Despite that, Tennessee State began the set with six unanswered points as part of a 9-2 advantage. It was all Skyhawks from that point forward as a 14-2 UT Martin run completely flipped the momentum. Bryant had four service aces in the final five points of the run to help the Skyhawks go ahead 2-1 in the match.
The UT Martin serving momentum continued in the fourth set as Cruise and Mott each earned aces to help the Skyhawks lead 6-3. UT Martin led 12-11 before five consecutive Tiger points gave Tennessee State a lead it would not relinquish for the remainder of the set. Another Skyhawk service ace – this time by Makaelah Paulino – pulled UT Martin with one point (23-22) late but the Tigers were able to force a fifth set. Vaughn’s four kills on a .444 hitting percentage paced the Skyhawks in Set 4.
The decisive fifth set was tight early before UT Martin wrapped up the match on an 8-1 run. Surratt slammed down kills on consecutive rallies while Cruise handed out a pair of assists with a service ace during a four-point stretch for the Skyhawks. Vaughn (three kills) and Mott (eight digs) stood out in the abbreviated fifth set to help UT Martin to a weekend split.
After two straight weeks on the road, the Skyhawks return home on Nov. 8-9 for Senior Weekend against OVC rival Southeast Missouri. Friday’s match will begin at 6 p.m. while Saturday’s Senior Day festivities honoring Haislip, Josie Hess, Zara McCauley, Mott, Vallée and Vaughn will take place shortly before the 2 p.m. start.
