MARTIN, Tenn. – The tandem of Kayla Bryant and Katie Cruise each managed double-doubles this evening for the University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team but Tennessee Tech claimed a 3-0 decision (25-13, 25-21, 25-16) at Skyhawk Fieldhouse.
Bryant’s 11th career double-double and fourth of the 2024 campaign consisted of team-highs of 12 kills and 11 digs. The junior outside hitter out of Louisville, Ky. also hit .310 and added a team-best two blocks. Cruise’s 10th double-double of the season came after she distributed 28 assists and equaled Bryant for a team-high with 11 digs.
Dylan Mott (nine digs), Kylie Surratt (eight digs), Dylan Sulcer (eight digs) and Kristin Phillips (two blocks) also led UT Martin defensively while Addy Vaughn (seven kills, team-best .333 attack percentage) was efficient on the offensive end. Surratt and Phillips each added six kills apiece for the Skyhawks, who are now 5-21 and 3-14 in Ohio Valley Conference play.
After a Surratt kill started off the match, the Golden Eagles (22-7, 11-6 OVC) scored the next eight points. A pair of Bryant kills helped UT Martin get within striking distance at 9-5 but Tennessee Tech scored 14 of the next 18 points and never looked back. Surratt had three kills on three attempts while Bryant put away three kills in six swings in the opening set.
Kills from Bryant, Phillips, Cruise and Surratt helped the Skyhawks take a 4-1 edge to start the middle stanza. Vaughn had a hand in three points (two kills, one block assist) during a four-point stretch as UT Martin maintained its lead at 9-7. The Golden Eagles took a brief advantage before two more ties followed, ending with a Vaughn kill and Tennessee Tech attack error that knotted the score at 20-all. However, Tennessee Tech scored five of the final six points to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Vaughn had five kills in seven swings (.714 hitting percentage) while Cruise (13 assists, six digs) and Bryant (four kills, team-best seven digs) also performed well for the Skyhawks in Set 2.
UT Martin received its first three points of the third set via Bryant kills. Her fifth rally killer of the set made the score 10-9 in favor of the Golden Eagles but Tennessee Tech then went on a 9-3 run. Cruise earned a kill and the Golden Eagles followed with an attack error to help the Skyhawks close their gap to 19-14 but that was ultimately as close as UT Martin would get the rest of the way. Bryant’s five kills in eight attempts led the way while Cruise assisted on 11 of the Skyhawks’ 12 kills.
The 2024 regular season wraps up tomorrow as UT Martin will host Tennessee Tech at 4 p.m. in Skyhawk Fieldhouse on ESPN+.
