THE LEAD
CHARLESTON, Ill. – Austin Peay State University's volleyball team pushed Eastern Illinois before dropping a four-set (17-25, 25-23, 23-25, 22-25) Ohio Valley Conference decision, Friday night, at Lantz Arena.
WHO GOVERNED
Sophomore Peyton Walker came off the bench to lead Austin Peay with a .269 attack percentage while recording nine kills. She also had three block assists and nine digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Eastern Illinois opened the match with a 17-kill, .400-attack percentage performance to swamp Austin Peay in a 25-17 victory.
Austin Peay bounced back, rallying to win the second set, 25-23, thanks to three straight points to end the set.
Eastern Illinois fended off the Lady Govs to win the third set before closing the match with a 10-2 run that was highlighted by nine EIU kills, to post a come-from-behind fourth set win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Samantha Strother posted her fourth double-double of 2015, finishing with 13 kills and 10 digs. She is tied for the team lead in double-doubles with Aubrey Marsellis.
Logan Carger made her seventh start and finished with eight kills and three block assists.
Kelly Ferguson made her sixth consecutive start and notched four blocks. She has 20 blocks in her six starts (0.83 per set).
Austin Peay remained winless on the road in 2015, falling to 0-10.
THE QUOTABLE TAYLOR MOTT
"Peyton Walker stepped up and did a good job blocking and hitting. April (Adams) played pretty good defense and Logan (Carger) and Kelly (Ferguson) came up with some big blocks at key times. Eastern Illinois was a better defensive team and more efficient hitting but we fought hard for every point."
THE FULL RECAP
Austin Peay (6-18, 1-8 OVC) could not match Eastern Illinois' offensive fire power in the opening frame. The Lady Govs had just 11 kills at a .125 attack percentage while Eastern Illinois rocketed out of the gate with 17 kills at a .400 attack percentage. The Panthers claimed the first set in wire-to-wire fashion, 25-17.
The Lady Govs led the bulk of the second set only to see the Panthers rally late and claim a 23-22 lead. Austin Peay did not surrender and scored the final three points – one courtesy a Sammie Ebright service ace – to win the set, 25-23.
Eastern Illinois (12-11, 7-2 OVC) built a 6-2 lead early in the third set, but Austin Peay battled back and claimed the lead midway through the frame. The Lady Govs 13-12 lead was short lived as the Panthers won the next five points for a 17-13 lead. An Austin Peay 5-0 run tied the set at 20-20 but it could not regain the lead as the team's traded the next four points. EIU closed the set with a 3-1 run to win 25-23.
Austin Peay grabbed a 12-8 lead in the fourth set and was on the cusp of forcing a fifth set when it lead 20-15. But Eastern Illinois scored nine kills as part of a match-ending 10-2 run, winning 25-22.
Samantha Strother led Austin Peay with a 13-kill, 10-dig double-double performance. Peyton Walker came off the bench to add nine kills. Austin Peay finished with 48 kills but was held to a .142 attack percentage. The Lady Govs did record seven service aces, including four by April Adams.
Taylor Smith's 18-kill, 20-assist, 14-dig, six-block performance paced Eastern Illinois. She was one of four players to reach double-digit kill territory as the Panthers posted 63 kills at a .269 attack percentage.
Austin Peay continues its Illinois Swing with a 2 p.m., Saturday contest at SIUE.
