By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team made short work of Ohio Valley Conference rival Eastern Illinois, hitting a season-high .290 on the way to a 3-0 sweep (25-17, 25-16, 25-17) at Skyhawk Fieldhouse.
A pair of UT Martin players garnered double-digits in the kill column this afternoon. Karen Scanlon managed a match-high 13 kills on a .321 attack percentage and Addison Conley slammed down 11 kills while hitting .333. Making her first start since Sept. 10, Jessica Reynolds provided eight kills on a .316 attack percentage for the Skyhawks (8-10, 4-1 OVC).
Baillie Kearns generated her first career double-double with a match-high 16 digs to go along with a career-best 10 assists. Haeleigh Paulino (17 assists, 13 digs) also posted a double-double while Addy Vaughn handed out 16 assists to keep the offense flowing.
Defensively, Scanlon turned away six blocks while Kayla Carrell and Conley scooped up eight digs apiece for a UT Martin squad who has won four matches in a row and seven of their last eight decisions.
Scanlon had two kills in the Skyhawks’ first four points before Conley went on a tear – unwinding three straight kills to boost UT Martin’s lead out to 9-3. Conley then went on a 3-0 run of her own, producing back-to-back kills and a service ace to double up the Panthers at 14-7. Eastern Illinois pulled within four points at 21-17 but a pair of Reynolds kills bookended a 4-0 surge to wrap up the first set. Five kills by Scanlon and a complete all-around set from Conley (four kills, four digs, two service aces) got the Skyhawks off on the right foot as UT Martin hit .405 with 18 kills in the opening stanza.
The Skyhawks carried that momentum into the second set, taking an 8-3 lead. Conley accounted for three kills in a row at the end of the run and later tacked on a fourth kill to make the score 12-6. The Panthers would get no closer than four for the remainder of the set as Scanlon compiled a trio of kills over UT Martin’s final nine points. Conley (five kills) and Kearns (seven digs) shined for the Skyhawks in the middle stanza.
Eastern Illinois (7-7, 0-4 OVC) took a 4-2 advantage in the third set but that lead didn’t last long as UT Martin immediately followed with eight unanswered points. Scanlon (three kills) and Kambree Lucas (two kills) were major contributors during the Skyhawk run. The Panthers came right back with an 8-1 run to even the score at 12-all but Merriweather dialed up a pair of kills to push UT Martin’s lead back out to 16-12. The Skyhawk lead was at 19-16 before UT Martin tallied six of the last seven points. Lucas gave the Skyhawks a big lift in the final set as the freshman from Brazil, Ind. had a team-high five kills and four digs.
UT Martin continues its season-long five-match homestand next weekend when it hosts OVC foe Murray State on Oct. 8-9. Friday’s match is set to begin at 6 p.m. while Saturday’s first serve will occur at 11 a.m. as part of Homecoming weekend.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information