MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball squad fell victim to a Morehead State comeback this afternoon in a 3-2 setback (25-20, 14-25, 25-20, 14-25, 9-15) at Skyhawk Fieldhouse.
Freshman Kylie Surratt led UT Martin in kills for the eighth time in 14 opportunities this season, slamming down 15 kills (one shy of her career-high) on a .237 hitting percentage. Kayla Bryant also added 10 kills while Kristin Phillips (nine kills, team-best .389 attack percentage) and Maddy Gladson (career-high eight kills) also led the Skyhawk offensive attack. Katie Cruise (24 assists) and Hannah Haislip (12 assists) split duties at setter today for UT Martin.
Dylan Mott managed team-highs in service aces (two) and digs (24) this afternoon for the Skyhawks, who are now 3-11 overall and 1-4 in Ohio Valley Conference play.
The first set included seven tie scores and a pair of lead changes. Phillips had a hand in four different points (three kills, one block assist) during a 5-1 run that flipped an 11-9 UT Martin deficit into a 14-12 advantage. The Skyhawk lead remained at two points before reeling off four of the final five points, two of which came via Bryant kills. Phillips had four kills on five swings (.800 hitting percentage) with two blocks in the opening stanza.
The Eagles (8-9, 4-2 OVC) used a 13-4 run early in the second set to claim momentum. A pair of Surratt kills and a kill from Cruise helped UT Martin pull back within striking distance (18-12) but Morehead State accounted for seven of the final nine points of the set to even the match at 1-all. Mott had six of the Skyhawks’ 14 digs in the second set to lead the way.
UT Martin trailed 9-6 in the third set but immediately answered with six unanswered points, capped off with a Cruise service ace. Three Gladson kills in a five-point stretch helped the Skyhawks build a 17-12 advantage before a Phillips set-clinching kill gave UT Martin a 2-1 lead in the match. Surratt (five kills on seven attempts) and Mott (seven digs) made the difference for the Skyhawks in Set 3.
Three kills by Surratt in a four-point span aided UT Martin to a close back-and-forth beginning to the fourth stanza. The Skyhawks narrowly trailed by a 12-10 margin but the Eagles then collected 10 unanswered points on the way to forcing a winner-take-all fifth set. Mott was once again responsible for a great defensive performance with seven digs in the stanza.
The Eagles scored the first three points of the fifth stanza but UT Martin clawed all the way back to even the score at 7-all courtesy of a Mott service ace. However, Morehead State was able to claim the win by ending the match with eight of the final 10 points.
The Skyhawks’ five-match homestand continues next weekend, hosting OVC rival Lindenwood. UT Martin will take on the Lions at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19.
