Women's Volleyball | November 05, 2021

CLARKSVILLE – Austin Peay State University's volleyball team hosts UT Martin in a two-match Ohio Valley Conference series that kicks off at 7 p.m., Saturday with Senior Day celebrations, followed by a 2 p.m. match, Sunday.

After dropping two matches in Cape Girardeau, Missouri last week, the Governors (17-9, 10-3) will have their perfect 7-0 home record tested against the visiting Skyhawks (13-14, 9-5) who are one place behind the Govs in the OVC standings in fourth.

Graduate student Brooke Moore leads a Govs' high-powered offense firing at a conference-best .234 hitting percentage through 10 weeks. Moore leads the Govs in kills (324), digs (287) this season and is fourth and third in the OVC in each statistical category, respectively. 

With her 11th dig, Oct. 28, Brooke Moore became the 10th player in program history to notch 1,500 career digs. The Louisville native entered even more elite company with her final kill of the five-set thriller, in which she became just the second player to record 1,500 kills in a career. She enters the weekend series 22 kills from surpassing Sarah Schramka (2001-04) for the all-time record and is one of just six players in OVC history to record 1,500 kills and 1,500 digs in a career.

The Govs' offense is also commanded by junior right-side hitter Makayla Powell who leads the OVC with a .311 hitting percentage. Powell is second on the team in both kills (248) and blocks (50).

Last spring, Austin Peay split a doubleheader against UT Martin to close out the season. The Govs swept the Skyhawks in the first match to keep their OVC Championship Tournament dreams alive, but fell in the subsequent match in what proved to be their season finale.

The Skyhawks are led by junior middle blocker and reigning OVC Newcomer of the Week, Olivia Saunders, who is seventh in the OVC in hitting percentage (.264) and eighth in blocks (0.98/set). Saunders had 18 kills and 15 blocks for the Skyhawks as they split their weekend series against Tennessee Tech, Oct. 29-30.

The series also is the second time Austin Peay head coach Taylor Mott faces her daughter, Dylan, a freshman libero and defensive specialist who is third on the team with 202 digs through 88 sets this season.

Following its series against the Skyhawks, Austin Peay closes out its regular season slate with three-straight road matches beginning with a 6 p.m., Wednesday night matchup against Murray State, followed by two matches at Eastern Illinois, Nov. 12-13.

First Swings

• Outside hitter Brooke Moore, a Preseason All-OVC selection, is the only player in program history to record 1,500 kills and 1,500 digs during their career. She enters Saturday's match with 1,509 kills (2nd all-time) and 1,522 digs (9th).
• With her fourth kill against Southeast Missouri, Oct. 23, Moore passed Austin Peay alumna Amy Walk (2000-03) for second all-time in career kills. The graduate student is 21 kills away from passing Sarah Schramka (2001-04) for the all-time kills record.
• Right-side hitter Mikayla Powell, the reigning 2020-21 NJCAA National Player of the Year, is a two-time OVC Newcomer of the Week. She is currently second on the team in kills (248) and blocks (50) and leads the conference with a .311 hitting percentage.
• Middle blocker Maggie Keenan, who has recorded four or more blocks 13 times this season and leads the Govs with 90 on the season. Her 1.07 blocks per set are currently the third-highest mark in program history 
• The Govs setter tandem of Caroline Waite and Kelsey Mead are in their second year combining to quarterback the Govs offense. The duo ranks 11th and 13th all-time in career assists, respectively. Waite has averaged 5.02 assists and 2.18 digs per set while Mead is averaging 5.36 assists and 1.73digs per set with 25 aces through 10 weeks.
• The Governors have boasted a high-powered offense throughout the season and lead the conference with a .234 attack parentage.
• Austin Peay's 7-0 record at the Winfield Dunn Center is the fourth-best start at home in program history. With a sweep against UT Martin, the Govs would surpass an 8-0 start at home in 1998 and move three games behind the 2018 season's 12-0 start.
• The Governors are 15-3 against UT Martin under head coach, Taylor Mott. Mott is also perfect at home against the Skyhawks, having won eight-straight matches against the Skyhawks in the Dunn.