ST. CHARLES, Mo.. – Outside hitter Mikayla Powell led Austin Peay State University's volleyball team to a pair of victories in Friday action at the Lindenwood Invitational. The Govs swept host Lindenwood in three sets (25-22, 25-19, 26-24) before downing Indiana State in five sets (27-25, 25-23, 19-25, 22-25, 15-12) to run their win streak to four matches.
Powell opened the day with a then-season-best 18 kills and a .375 attack percentage against the host Lions. She followed that with a career-best 24 kills against Indiana State, with her 24th kill providing the match-winning point against the Sycamores.
Austin Peay (4-1) and host Lindenwood battled throughout their three-set affair. They fought through 13 ties in the opening set, the last at 22-22 when a Lindenwood service error erased a one-point advantage. The Govs jumped on the opportunity after the error, with setter Kelsey Mead scoring back-to-back kills before middle blocker Maggie Keenan put down an overpass for set point.
The second set lacked the first set's drama, with Austin Peay gaining control with three straight points to take a 9-7 lead. The Govs nursed that lead all the way to the end of the set, closing the frame with a 5-1 run that Powell finished with a kill.
Lindenwood (2-2) threatened to extend the match, getting to 20 points first with a 20-15 lead. The Govs erased that lead with five straight points on libero Kalliann Cook's serve. The Govs and Lions traded points from there before Mead gave the Govs a match-point opportunity with a kill. Outside hitter Anna Rita made sure the Govs capitalized on the chance, scoring her third kill to win the match.
Powell's 18-kill outing came on just 40 attempts. Mead, the Govs' lone setter this weekend, notched 33 assists and had four kills and two blocks. Keenan had six kills, three service aces, and three blocks.
The Govs' nightcap with the Sycamores followed the script of the day's first match with plenty of back-and-forth action. The opening frame set the tone with 15 ties, including at 23-23, 24-24, and 25-25. Powell got the Govs to set point with a kill, and outside hitter Elizabeth Wheat sealed the set win with another kill for the 27-25 victory.
Austin Peay had to battle back in the second set as Indiana State jumped out to a 13-9 lead and held on to that lead to 18-16. The Govs turned the tables quickly with four straight points, including back-to-back solo blocks by Sarah Carnathan. Austin Peay got to set point on a joint block by Powell and Keenan, but Indiana State fended off the first set point. The Sycamores could not hold off the Govs a second time, with Powell delivering another kill to claim the frame.
Indiana State (2-3) pulled away in both the third and fourth sets to level the match at two sets each and force the tiebreaker fifth frame. The Sycamores led 6-5 in the fifth before committing four attack errors in a five-serve span to give APSU a 9-7 lead. That proved enough of a lead for the Govs, who traded points with ISU the rest of the way before Powell closed the match with her 24th kill.
Powell's 24 kills came on 61 attempts in the second match for a .311 attack percentage. She also had eight digs and five blocks in the win. Wheat bounced back to provide 11 kills, while Keenan supplied 10 kills and seven blocks. Mead nearly matched her career high with 54 assists, four shy of her career best set in 2019 against Southeast Missouri.
Austin Peay closes its stay at Lindenwood with a noon, Saturday match against Louisiana-Monroe (ULM).
