MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University's volleyball team split its season opening matches with a sweep of Mississippi Valley State and loss to in-state rival Tennessee Tech, Friday, at the Larry O. Finch Center.

Austin Peay (1-1) earned its first win of the 2024 season with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 26-24) win over Mississippi Valley State. The two teams went back and forth for the majority of the first set but got up by as many as four points, 14-10, from a kill from Luci Lippelgoos. A trio of attack errors by the Govs allowed the Delta Devils to go on a 5-1 run, tying the set at 15-15. The Delta Devils took their first lead of the set at 20-19 after a kill from Lyric Edwards. The Governors ended the set on a 5-2 run to win the set, 25-22. 

The Governors got off to a quick start to begin the second set, going on a 4-2 run. The Delta Devils responded with a 7-2 run to go up by four at 12-8. The Govs fought back with kills by Payton Diedesheimer, Gabriella MacKenzie, and Lippelgoos, tying the set 15-15. The Govs never trailed the remainder of the set, winning 25-22. 

The Delta Devils battled back to begin the third set, going up 5-1 on the Govs. The Govs responded with a 9-5 run, tying the set at 10-10 with a kill by Abby Thigpen. The rest of the set saw seven ties, but the Governors took the set, 26-24

The Govs and the Golden Eagles went back-and-forth in the beginning of the first set, seeing five ties and two lead changes. TTU saw a 5-2 run to lead by a set high of five points at 15-10. The Govs fought back, tying the game at 22-22 with back-to-back attack errors from the Golden Eagles and forcing a TTU timeout. Tennessee Tech went on a 3-0 run to end the first set, 25-22. 

Much like the first set, the second set was back-and-forth until TTU began a 5-2 run, making the score 13-9 and forcing a Governor timeout. A pair of kills by Gabriella MacKenzie followed by a kill from Sarah Carnathan and a service ace by Lippelgoos allowed the Governors to get back within two of their opponent at 16-14. TTU kept hold of their lead, despite APSU's effort to get back within two at 19-17 thanks to a Golden Eagle service error and a kill by Aubrey Stitcher. A 4-1 run ended the set with TTU winning, 25-20. 

The Governors began the third set on a 4-3 run with another kill from MacKenzie and Golden Eagle attack errors. However, TTU managed to pull away from the Governors by a 4-0 run, forcing a Gov timeout at 20-14. TTU ended the match on a 5-4 run, winning 25-18. 

The Governors wrap up their stay in Memphis tomorrow as they face host Memphis at 1 p.m.