CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Austin Peay State University's volleyball team opened the Stacheville Challenge with a 3-0 (25-6, 26-24, 25-17) sweep of UT Martin, Friday, at the Winfield Dunn Center.
Game 1: UT Martin
The Governors jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the opening set following two Skyhawks' attack errors and kills by Lauren Wallace and Nicole Okojie. Three additional kills and an attack error extended the lead to 8-2 before Reagan Anderson recorded three service aces to push the Govs ahead 14-2. Austin Peay continued to control the set, trading points with UT Martin over the next seven rallies. A service ace by Kaelynn Ashley and a kill by Malena Benz gave the Govs a 22-6 advantage. Back-to-back service aces by Sarah Butler brought Austin Peay to set point at 24-6, and a UT Martin setting error secured the 25-6 win.
The opening-set victory marked the fewest points allowed in a set in program history, coming in the first set of Austin Peay's 50th season.
The second set featured a more competitive battle, with the largest Austin Peay lead standing at three points at 7-4, 9-6, 19-16 and 21-19. Okojie and Wallace recorded back-to-back kills to give the Govs an 11-9 lead, while Wallace and Benz followed with consecutive kills to extend the advantage to 15-12.With the score tied at 24-24, Brooklynn Merrell recorded a service ace to give Austin Peay set point at 25-24. Wallace then delivered back-to-back kills to close out the set, 26-24, and give the Govs a 2-0 match lead.
Austin Peay carried its momentum into the third set, opening with kills by Alison Coy, Okojie and Wallace to take a 3-2 lead. The Governors extended their advantage to 17-12 behind kills from Wallace and Okojie, an attack error and another Wallace kill. The Govs continued to pull away with a kill by Benz, a service ace by Merrell and opposing attack and service errors to take a 23-17 lead. Taly Cloyd closed out the set with a kill, and an Anderson serve forced a UT Martin attack error to secure the 25-17 set victory and Austin Peay's first sweep of the season.
Wallace led all players with 15 kills, while Anderson recorded a team-high three service aces and 19 digs. Benz added four blocks, and Butler tallied 21 assists.
As a team, the Govs finished with 56 points, 41 kills, eight service aces and seven blocks.
Game 2: Jackson State
The Governors opened their second match of the night with back-to-back kills before Jackson State responded with four consecutive points. Austin Peay answered with two points of its own, but the Tigers used a seven-point run to build an early advantage. Lauren Wallace helped the Governors regain momentum with a kill, while three Jackson State errors allowed Austin Peay to cut the deficit to seven, 17-10, after trailing by as many as 12 points at 17-5. The two teams exchanged points for the remainder of the set, with the Tigers taking a 1-0 match lead.
Austin Peay responded in the second set with several scoring runs, including a six-point stretch that turned a deficit into a 16-10 advantage. The run featured two kills, four Tigers' errors and a service ace. The Governors then closed the set with consecutive points to even the match at 1-1.
The third set saw another resilient effort from the Governors. Trailing 16-10, Austin Peay used a five-point run to cut the deficit to one, 16-15, behind two kills, two Jackson State errors and a service ace by Coy. However, three attack errors and two kills down the stretch were not enough, as Jackson State claimed the third set, 25-22, and regained the match lead.
The Governors continued their resilient play in the fourth set, using consecutive scoring stretches to build an 11-6 advantage. Jackson State responded with five straight points to erase the deficit and tie the set at 16. The Governors and Tigers exchanged points down the stretch before a kill by Benz secured the 25-23 victory and sent the match to a decisive fifth set.
The final set followed a similar back-and-forth pattern, with the teams tied at three early. The Governors scored three consecutive points to take a 6-3 lead, while Jackson State answered before Austin Peay again strung together three straight points to move ahead 9-4. The Tigers rallied late, however, scoring consecutive points to secure the 15-11 victory and the match.
Wallace led the Governors with 17 kills for the second consecutive match, while Coy matched Reagan Anderson's previous match high with three service aces. Sarah Butler also surpassed her previous match high of 21 digs, finishing with 23 against Jackson State.
Up Next
The Govs continue the Stacheville Challenge against Kansas City at 1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Winfield Dunn Center.
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.
