CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Austin Peay State University's volleyball team fell to Central Arkansas 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 15-15, 26-28), Wednesday, in the Winfield Dunn Center.
The Governors and Sugar Bears played to four stalemates to begin the first set with Nicole Okojie scoring back-to-back points to give the Govs an early lead. Austin Peay went on a 4-0 run to lead 14-13 midway through the set. Despite a 5-0 scoring run from the Sugar Bears, the Governors scored four four of the final points of the opening set to win the frame 25-23 and take a 1-0 lead.
In the second set, the Govs maintained the lead through the first 11 points, scoring the first three points consecutively to lead 3-0. The Govs scored two straight on a Taly Cloyd kill and a Brooklynn Merrell service ace, to lead 11-7. Merrell assisted Lauren Wallace and Okojie and two straight kills, with a third straight point on a Sugar Bear attack error. The Governors were the first to fifteen with the point from a Central Arkansas service error. Following the timeout, the Govs capitalized on two Central Arkansas errors for points 16 and 17. Coy notched a kill to take the lead 20-19, and Wallace tallied a kill for the lead 21-20. Taylor Sass tallied a service ace to tie the set at 23, but the Govs dropped the set 25-23 following two consecutive Sugar Bear points.
The Governors opened the first set with three-straight points exclusively from kills from Sianna Dykes and two from Cree Hollier. The Govs stopped a Central Arkansas 9-0 scoring run with two kills by Okojie assisted from Gianna Tagoa'i for points four and five. The Govs cut their deficit to as few seven points, but ultimately dropped the second third set, 25-15.
The fourth set started identical to the third with three straight points from kills, this time from Coy, Benz, and Hollier. The Govs scored their next six points from only kills. Austin Peay took a five-point lead with a Central Arkansas attack error at 10-5 and on a Wallace kil 11-6. Austin Peay avoided a deficit following three ties and a 5-2 Sugar Bears' scoring run with a Central Arkansas error to lead 13-12, a Benz kill at 14-13, and a Benz and Coy block at 15-14 to take both teams to the fifteen-point set break. The Govs tied the set at 16 with a Wallace kill, and scored two straight on Central Arkansas errors to trail 19-18. Hollier and Okojie scored 19 and 20 on back-to-back blocks. Wallace extended the set with a kill to tie the set at 24, and Benz extended it to 27 set point with a kill to tie the set at 25. Benz extended the set with a block with Wallace at 26 points each. Central Arkansas scored the final two points to win the set 28-26 and the match 3-1.
Box Score Bullets
Up Next
The Governors meet Little Rock for the second time this season, and the first time at home Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m.
Follow the Govs on Socials
For news and updates throughout the Governors' 50th season, follow the team on X (@GovsVB) and Instagram (@GovsVolleyball) or check back at LetsGoPeay.com
