COOKEVILLE – Austin Peay State University's volleyball team recorded its 20th victory with a 3-1 (26-24, 21-25, 25-20, 27-25) Ohio Valley Conference victory against Tennessee Tech, Saturday afternoon, at Eblen Arena.
The win assured the Lady Govs a second-place finish in this season's OVC race, its best finish since winning the regular-season crown in 1992. Austin Peay also will record back-to-back 20-win seasons for only the fourth time in program history with its ninth 20-win campaign all-time.
"The fact this this team had the best OVC finish in 17 years is a testament to these women," said Lady Govs head coach Mike Johnson. I sincerely admire the commitment they make each and every day. I'm please to know we continue to improve and have our sights firmly set on winning the OVC tournament."
In the opening set, Austin Peay (20-8, 13-3 OVC) held its largest lead at 23-18 and got to set points leading, 24-20. But Tennessee Tech fended off four consecutive set points to tie the set, 24-24. The Lady Govs were able to stop the Golden Eagles' run with junior middle blocker Jessica Mollman's kill to get its fifth set point and senior outside hitter Stephanie Champine's kill put the set away.
Tennessee Tech (10-15, 9-7), playing its final regular-season home contest, shook off the late defeat and opened the second set with a 10-4 run. Austin Peay would close back to within four points, 19-15, to force a TTU timeout. The timeout was successful as the Golden Eagles regained its six-point lead, 23-17, and got to set point, 24-18. The Lady Govs staved off four consecutive set points but surrendered an error to end the set, 25-21.
The Lady Govs returned from the mid-match break and opened the third set with a 7-3 run. But Tennessee Tech rallied back with a 12-7 run to take a 15-14 lead. That lead lasted only breifly as the Lady Govs swiftly retook the lead courtesy a 7-3 scoring run and did not look back en route to a 25-20 win.
The fourth set was a wild affair with the Lady Govs sprinting out to a 20-9 lead with 13 points coming on their own kills. But a diehard Golden Eagle side was able to battle back with a 15-4 run to tie the set, 24-24, and force overtime again. Austin Peay did not trail in the extra points and won the match after junior middle blocker Taylor Skinner posted a kill and junior setter Sarah Alisaleh nailed a service ace to close the set.
"This match was all about serve and serve receive," said Johnson. "At the break, we challenged each other to see who would be the one to break the game open with her serve. Collectively we responded and Sarah's ace to end it was clutch – poigniant evidence of our service game in the last two sets."
Champine led all hitters with 20 kills and ran her streak of double-digit kill outings to 24 matches. Skinner added eight kills but had a dominant afternoon at the net recording seven blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Ilyanna Hernandez added 14 kills and Mollman chipped in 11 kills.
Austin Peay recorded 60 kills in the victory but committed 30 attack errors, its most since a 34-error performance at Marquette in September, and finished with a .171 attack percentage. The offensive woes led the Lady Govs to rely on a defensive effort that posted a season-best 11 blocks and won the back-row battle with an 85-75 margin in digs.
Leah Meffert led Tennessee Tech with 17 kills and a .292 attack percentage. The Golden Eagles finished with 50 kills but committed 23 errors and finished with a .166 attack percentage.
Austin Peay returns home for a regular-season ending two-match homestand, beginning with a 7 p.m., Friday contest against Tennessee Martin.
-AP-
