CLARKSVILLE - Austin Peay State University's volleyball team faltered briefly but used a powerful offensive performance to win a four-set (25-20, 25-17, 22-25, 25-20) Ohio Valley Conference decision against Tennessee Tech, Friday night, at the Dunn Center.

Austin Peay (8-18, 6-9 OVC) opened the match with a defensive show, recording five blocks in the set. The Lady Govs used three consecutive blocks to build a 9-2 lead. Tennessee Tech slowly reeled Austin Peay back in, tying the match at 19-19. However, freshman Hillary Plybon recorded back-to-back aces to give APSU a 22-19 lead it would not relinquish.

The Lady Govs offense hit its stride in the second set, recording 15 kills and a .464 attack percentage as they committed just two attack errors. Meanwhile, the APSU defense again caused the Golden Eagles problems, recording four blocks in the frame. Those woes proved deadly late in the set when four consecutive TTU attack errors - one caused by an APSU block - gave APSU a 21-15 lead.

Tennessee Tech (4-21, 3-12 OVC) seemingly solved all of its offensive woes during the break, recording just one attack error in the third set while posting 12 kills. Austin Peay out-performed the Golden Eagles with 17 kills but also committed seven attack errors.  The set was close, there were nine ties and three lead changes, until a 6-2 run gave TTU a 24-20 lead. Austin Peay staved off a pair of set points - courtesy consecutive kills by junior Nikki Doyle and senior Ilyanna Hernandez - but Tennessee Tech won the set on its fourth try on Kelsey Gray's kill.

Austin Peay recovered to dominate the fourth set, scoring five of the set's first six points. The Lady Govs maintained their lead through 10-6 and later 18-13. Austin Peay got to set point first, 25-15, but Tennessee Tech fended off five match point chances that to four consecutive kills and a block. The Lady Govs broke through on their sixth try, Doyle recording a match-ending kill.

Austin Peay finished with 60 kills and a .256 attack percentage while also recording 10 service aces and 12 blocks. Doyle led the Lady Govs with 15 kills and Pybon added 11 kills and five blocks.

The Lady Govs three seniors - Hernandez, Grantham and Economos - also had a large hand in the win after being recognized prior to the match. Hernandez had 12 kills and three blocks; Grantham posted nine kills, two service aces and three blocks while Economos finished with 28 digs.

Tennessee Tech recorded 44 kills and a .147 attack percentage in the loss. Natalie Penrod led the Golden Eagles with 13 kills and Ellen Conti added 11 kills off the bench.

Austin Peay closes out the home portion of its 2011 schedule with a 1 p.m., Saturday contest against Jacksonville State.

-AP-