The Skyhawks clawed their way out of a 0-2 deficit to force a fifth inning, but UTM failed to close the game and lost 2-3.
Junior middle blocker Justine Walker and sophomore outside hitter (OH) Logan Wallick paced the Skyhawks in kills with 12 each. Walker hit .500, with only one attack error in 20 hits.
Junior setter Kenzie Hinshaw also contributed greatly to the Skyhawks’ offensive effort, providing 29 assists and three service aces.
Over the last three sets, the Skyhawks combined for only six hitting errors.
On the defensive side of the matchup, Junior outside hitter Jamie Rys and freshman OH Lucy Kaufman both matched their career-highs in digs, with 23 and 10 respectively.
The Salukis pulled away from an early Skyhawk lead in the first stanza with a 9-2 stretch that put SIU five points ahead. While the Skyhawks managed to get back within striking distance (23-22), the Salukis didn’t relinquish the lead and scored back-to-back points.
Hinshaw took control early on in the second stanza, helping UTM get off to a 5-2 lead over the Salukis with a kill, assist and service-ace. However, seven of the next nine points were scored by SIU and the Skyhawks never reclaimed the lead, dropping the second set 19-25.
In response, the Skyhawks came out guns-blazing in the third stanza. Walker contributed three kills, a service-ace and a block. Hinshaw racked up a service ace of her own to build a 19-6 lead over the Salukis and an eventual win.
Stanza four was neck-and-neck up until the bitter end. The most notable effort in this set was that of senior middle blocker Gintaire Mackeviciute, who contributed four blocks over a span of six consecutive UTM points.
Despite a comeback effort from the Salukis, sophomore OH Karen Scanlon finished off the stanza with her fifth kill of the set, sending the game into a winner-takes-all final stanza.
A four-point deficit set the Skyhawks back but the efforts of Mackeviciute (two kills), Hinshaw (kill) and sophomore OH Logan Wallick (service ace) tied the teams up at nine.
However, following the tie, the Salukis scored six of the next seven points to close out the match.
The Skyhawks now sit at 3-8 on the season and will host the Skyhawk Invitational this weekend from Sept. 20-21.
UTM will face off against Evansville (6-2), Mercer (5-5) and Little Rock (2-7).
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