The UTM volleyball team took the first two sets today before a furious Eastern Kentucky rally led to a 3-2 Skyhawk setback (28-26, 30-28, 22-25, 13-25, 13-15) at McBrayer Arena.
In a match that featured 44 tie scores and 22 lead changes, Karen Scanlon accumulated career-highs of 16 kills (on a .302 hitting percentage) and 25 digs for UTM today. She joined Haeleigh Paulino (26 assists, 10 digs) as Skyhawks with double-doubles. Logan Wallick put away 15 kills while Jessica Reynolds (12 kills) and Addy Vaughn (18 assists) also paced UTM offensively.
Making her first career start at libero, Dylan Mott was remarkable as the freshman out of Hendersonville, Tenn. posted a team-best 28 digs. Baillie Kearns (13) and Kayla Carrell (11) also dialed up double-digits in the digs column for the Skyhawks.
The opening set was extremely tight as neither side could open up a lead of more than three points until an assisted block by Wallick and Zoe Merriweather gave UTM a 9-6 lead. Wallick went off for three consecutive kills during one stretch, helping the Skyhawks take a 17-15 advantage in the process. The Colonels made a comeback and had set point at 25-24 before UTM ended on a 4-1 run thanks in large part to two kills from Reynolds and Wallick. The Skyhawks were led by Wallick’s six kills and Scanlon’s eight digs in the opening set.
The second stanza resulted in 18 ties and nine lead changes before UTM outlasted Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels accounted for four of the first six points and mostly held the lead until Reynolds and Wallick ignited a 4-0 run via back-to-back kills, making the score 16-15 in favor of the Skyhawks. UTM soon padded its lead out to 21-17 thanks to kills by Vaughn, Wallick and Scanlon on three consecutive points. The Skyhawks reached set point four different times before a solo block by Lauren O’Neill ended the marathon set at 30-28. UTM hit .267 with only four errors in the set while Mott’s eight scoops paved the way for the defense.
Eastern Kentucky took an 8-4 lead to start out the third set. Reynolds accounted for two kills and an assisted block during a 4-1 Skyhawk run as UTM evened the score at 12-all. However, the Colonels quickly extended their lead back out to three points. Olivia Lucia was responsible for two kills late to pull the Skyhawks back within a single point but Eastern Kentucky was able to take advantage of a bad set and an attack error to claim its first set. Lucia’s four kills guided UTM in the third stanza.
Reynolds came out swinging in the fourth set as two early kills led to a 3-1 Skyhawk advantage. The Colonels followed with a 12-4 run before a Wallick kill temporarily halted Eastern Kentucky’s momentum. UTM stayed within striking distance (15-11) but the Colonels unreeled eight consecutive points on their way to forcing a fifth set. Mott compiled a team-high six digs for the Skyhawks in the fourth set.
Things looked promising for UTM in the decisive fifth set as three Scanlon kills set the tone for a 7-4 advantage. Addison Conley joined the action with back-to-back kills to make the score 9-6. Eastern Kentucky tied things up at 9-all but the Skyhawks didn’t panic, holding a 13-11 lead after a Colonel attack error. Eastern Kentucky then iced the comeback with four unanswered points to escape with the win. UTM hit .292 for the set but the Colonels managed to post a .346 attack percentage.
The Skyhawks will hold their next four matches of the season at home, starting with back-to-back contests against Belmont on Feb. 14-15. Sunday’s match will begin at 4 p.m. while the Monday matchup is slated to start at 2:15 p.m.
