MARTIN, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University's beach volleyball team advanced to the first-ever Ohio Valley Conference Beach Volleyball Championship match by beating host UT Martin, 3-2, in the OVC Tournament semifinals, Friday, at the Skyhawk Beach Volleyball Complex.  

The No. 4 seed Governors are the first team to secure a spot in the OVC title match, which is set to be played at noon, Saturday. Austin Peay will play the winner of UT Martin and Jacksonville State in the championship match, the Skyhawks and Gamecocks will play a 10 a.m., Saturday match to determine who squares off against the Govs.

The No. 4 pairing was the first to go final, with the combo of Caroline Waite and Erin Eisenhart winning in two sets against the Skyhawks to give the Govs a 1-0 lead. However, UT Martin fought back and was able to pick up wins at both the No. 5 and  No. 3 pairings to take a 2-1 lead with just two matches left to play.

Needing to win both remaining matches, Second Team All-OVC duo Marlayna Bullington and Aysha Hood picked up a two-set win in the No. 1 pairing to tie the match, 2-2. Like the Govs previous match against top-seed Morehead State, First Team All-OVC pairing Jenna Panning and Brooke Moore were able to pick up the match-clinching point and secure a 3-2 win for the Govs.

To stay up to date with the Govs and the rest of the OVC Beach Volleyball Championship, visit the tournament's homepage or check back at LetsGoPeay.com.  For scores, news, and schedule updates, follow Austin Peay Beach Volleyball on Twitter (@AustinPeayBVB).

Results

No. 4 seed Austin Peay def. No. 3 seed UT Martin, 3-2

No. 1:. Marlayna Bullington/Aysha Hood (APSU) def. Lucy Kaufman/Hannah Phillips (UTM), 21-17, 21-18

No. 2: Jenna Panning/Brooke Moore (APSU) def. Kayla Carrell/Karen Scanlon (UTM), 21-10, 21-16

No. 3: . Haeleigh Paulino/Logan Wallick (UTM) def. Kelsey Mead/Tegan Seyring (APSU) 21-12, 21-15

No. 4: Caroline Waite/Erin Eisenhart (APSU) def. Addison Conley/Jessica Reynolds (UTM), 21-13, 21-17

No. 5: Baillie Kearns/Kambree Lucas (UTM) def. MiMi Arrington/Claire Darland (APSU), 21-16, 14-21, 15-10

Order of Finish: 4, 5, 3, 1, 2