BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Austin Peay's volleyball team closes its pre-Ohio Valley Conference slate when it competes in the WKU Invitational, Friday-Saturday, at E.A. Diddle Arena.
The Govs open the event with tough Friday matches against a hot St. John's squad at 10:30 a.m. before facing host and nationally-ranked Western Kentucky in the 6:30 p.m. nightcap. Austin Peay then faces Ohio in a 3:30 p.m. contest to conclude its stay.APSU head coach Taylor Mott is beginning to hone in on a steady group of contributors after the season's first three weeks with six Govs seeing action in all 12 sets last weekend: right side Tegan Seyring, right side Mikayla Powell, outside hitter Brooke Moore, middle blocker Maggie Keenan, setter Caroline Waite and libero Jessica Lary. In addition, defensive specialist Erin Eisenhart and setter Kelsey Mead were active in 11 sets.
The Govs return to action this weekend after seeing their front-row defense put together an impressive weekend at Indiana State, recording 32 blocks (2.67 per set). Keenan led the effort with 17 blocks while Powell added 10 blocks. Seyring (7), middle blocker Jaida Clark (8), and Moore (5) also had a helping hand, or two, in the mix.
Following this weekend's action, Austin Peay prepares for its home-opening and OVC-opening weekend. The Govs host defending champion Morehead State in a two-match series, Friday-Saturday, at the Dunn Center.
FIRST SWINGS
- Outside hitter Brooke Moore, a Preseason All-OVC selection, is one of only eight Govs players to record both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs during their career. She enters the weekend with 1,292 kills (5th all-time) and 1,333 digs (13th).
- Moore, who was an all-tournament selection at Marshall and Harvard, posted 29 kills (2.41/set) and 32 digs (2.67/set) at Indiana State. Her 15 kills and 13 digs against host Indiana State was her fifth double-double this season.
- Right-side hitter Mikayla Powell, the 2020-21 NJCAA Division II National Player of the Year, earned all-tournament honors at the Indiana State Invitational, last weekend, finishing the weekend with a season-high 18 kills and .417 attack percentage against host Indiana State.
- Right-side hitter Tegan Seyring posted back-to-back double digit kill outings last weekend, scoring 13 kills against IUPUI and 15 kills against host Indiana State. She averaged 2.92 kills and hit at a .238 clip during the weekend.
- The Govs setter tandem of Caroline Waite and Kelsey Mead are in their second year combining to quarterback the Govs offense. Mead is averaging 4.62 assists and 1.59 digs per set with nine aces. Waite has averaged 5.30 assists and 2.36 digs per set over the opening three weeks.
- Middle blocker Maggie Keenan has recorded five or more blocks five times this season, including a streak of four straight matches that ended with a four-block effort at Indiana State. She has a team-best 35 blocks (1.35/set) this season.
- Libero Jessica Lary took over at libero during the Govs weekend at Harvard. In her five sets as the starting libero, she has averaged 4.72 digs per set
- Outside hitter Marlayna Bullington joins the indoor squad this season after claiming OVC Beach Freshman of the Year honors last season while helping the Govs win the inaugural OVC beach volleyball title.
- Outside hitter Jaida Clark broke out with her first double-digit kill outing of the season, scoring 12 kills against Indiana State, last Saturday.
