CLARKSVILLE – Austin Peay State University's volleyball team continued their dominant start to conference play with its ninth three-set victory (26-24, 25-16, 25-21) of the season over Ohio Valley Conference rival Belmont, Friday, at the Winfield Dunn Center.
The Governors' conference-leading offense was powered by a balanced attack that saw six players tally six or more kills and combine for a .310 hitting percentage – the seventh time the team has posted over .300 this season.
Mikayla Powell led the Govs with her 11th-straight match of eight or more kills in an 11-kill, two-block performance where the reigning OVC Newcomer of the Week recorded a .400 hitting percentage for the third time in four matches.
The Govs (16-7, 9-1) and Bruins (8-13, 6-5) battled back and forth in a first set that featured nine lead changes and 19 ties; however, after Jaida Clark's fifth kill of the set gave APSU the 25-24 lead and forced a Belmont timeout, Maggie Keenan gave the Govs the first set victory with her second kill.
The Govs put together one of their most impressive runs of the season late in a second set that was largely commanded by the Bruins heading into the media timeout.
Trailing 15-12 at the break, kills by Powell and Brooke Moore, followed by a Belmont error evened the score at 15, while Keenan's first of two solo blocks on the night gave the Govs the advantage and brought a Belmont timeout. After the two teams traded scores, the Govs ended the set on an 8-0 run led by three kills by Powell.
After Belmont tied the third set at 18, the Govs finished the sweep with a 7-3 run to pick up their second-straight victory over their in-state rival.
The win also gives Austin Peay the advantage in a rivalry that dates back to 1998, as both teams entered the Friday-night match with 13 wins in the all-time series.
Austin Peay looks to finish its weekend sweep over the Bruins at 2 p.m., Saturday, before traveling to Cape Girardeau, Missouri for a two-match series against the Redhawks.
Southeast Missouri (18-5, 8-1) defeated Tennessee Tech (10-11, 5-5) Friday and remains half a match behind the Govs in the OVC standings entering the weekend.
Set-by-set against Belmont
- Belmont jumped out to a 3-0 lead early; however, the Govs answered with a 3-1 run to force the first of 19 ties in the match's inaugural set. The Bruins took the set's second multi-point advantage after a Lauren Walsh kill and service ace, but it was quickly answered with a 2-0 run by the Govs. Clark's fifth kill later in the set put Austin Peay up 25-24 and forced the Bruins to call a timeout. Keenan gave the Govs the victory in the back-and-forth set with her second kill of the afternoon.
- The Bruins led 14-12 following three-straight Austin Peay errors in the second set, but the Govs took the lead following a 13-1 run led by a quartet of kills by Powell and six Kelsey Mead assists.
- Keenan and Elizabeth Wheat each had four kills to pace APSU to a 25-21 third-set victory as the Govs improved to a perfect 6-0 in the Dunn this season.
