CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Austin Peay State University's volleyball team defeated Tennessee State, 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-17), Wednesday at the Winfield Dunn Center.
After Tennessee State built a 5-2 lead behind three Austin Peay attack errors, the Governors rallied to tie the set at 9 on kills by Nicole Okojie and Taly Cloyd. Cloyd and Malena Benz then teamed up for a block to give APSU a 10-9 lead.
The set remained close, with the teams tied at 15 before Tennessee State answered to make it 18-18. With the score tied at 19, the Governors scored four straight points, highlighted by an Okojie kill and three Tigers attack errors, to take a 23-19 advantage. Benz's kill gave APSU set point at 24-21. Tennessee State pulled within one, but Cloyd closed out the set with a kill from Brooklynn Merrell for a 25-23 win.
APSU carried its momentum into the second set, using a 7-0 run to turn a 3-2 lead into a 10-2 advantage. Reagan Anderson served two aces during the run, which also featured kills by Benz and Remmi Cooke. Tennessee State cut the deficit to 16-9, but the Governors answered by winning seven of the next eight rallies. Anderson added another ace, while Benz recorded a kill before Kaelynn Ashley delivered two late kills, including the set-clinching point, to give APSU a 25-13 win.
Tennessee State answered APSU's 2-0 start in the third set by tying the score at two, but Cooke and Sianna Dykes recorded kills during a four-point Governors run that put APSU ahead 6-2. The Tigers later cut the deficit to 17-13 with consecutive kills. After the teams traded points, Ashley's kill, Gianna Tagoa'i's ace and another Cooke kill pushed the Governors' lead to 21-14. Cloyd and Hollier closed out the match with kills from Tagoa'i, securing the 25-17 set victory and 3-0 sweep.
Box Score Bullets
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Reagan Anderson recorded four service aces, matching her season high set against Kansas City, Aug. 29.
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Brooklynn Merrell led the Governors with 18 assists, marking her seventh match leading APSU in assists this season.
- Austin Peay hit .270 with 39 kills while holding Tennessee State to a .056 hitting percentage and 24 kills.
Up Next
The Governors host the Governor's Classic at the Winfield Dunn Center, opening against Gardner-Webb at 1 p.m. and SIUE at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, before facing Southern Illinois at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, in Clarksville.
