By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin beach volleyball squad improved to 3-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play today as the Skyhawks defeated Morehead State (4-1) and Eastern Illinois (5-0) on Day 1 of the OVC Weekend at Chattanooga event.
A total of nine UT Martin players went unbeaten on the day as Kambree Lucas/Olivia O’Keefe (No. 2), Lucy Kaufman/Addy Vaughn (No. 3), Haeleigh Paulino/Jenna Vallée (No. 4) and Kayla Carrell (No. 5) each went 2-0. Audrey Haworth and Kayla Bryant also went 1-0 alongside Carrell at the No. 5 position today.
The Skyhawks (10-6, 3-0 OVC) began their day with an early 7 a.m. CST time matchup against Morehead State but quickly found a rhythm, winning the first four decisions. Carrell/Haworth got things started with a 21-15, 25-23 triumph and was followed by Paulino/Vallée posting a come-from-behind 16-21, 23-21, 15-10 victory. UT Martin officially clinched the win after Lucas/O’Keefe managed a 21-12, 21-9 win while Kaufman/Vaughn secured a 21-16, 21-17 victory. The Skyhawks almost pulled off a sweep but the No. 1 matchup featuring Dylan Mott/Logan Wallick went into a tiebreaker as the Eagles escaped with a slim 12-21, 22-20, 15-10 win.
Following an approximate five-hour break, UT Martin returned to the court against Eastern Illinois and came away with its third sweep in the last four matches. Paulino/Vallée earned a dominant 21-4, 21-14 win before Bryant/Carrell engineered a 21-13, 21-14 victory. Mott/Wallick sealed the Skyhawk victory with a quick 21-7, 21-12 triumph out of the No. 1 spot before Kaufman/Vaughn soared to a 21-11, 21-12 victory. The duo of Lucas/O’Keefe completed the sweep with a commanding 21-9, 21-9 triumph.
The final day of the Ohio Valley Conference Weekend at Chattanooga brought along two more wins for the University of Tennessee at Martin as the Skyhawks dialed up a 5-0 victory over Tennessee Tech and a 4-1 triumph over Lindenwood.
The pair of wins sets a school record for best OVC start to a season for UT Martin, who is now 5-0 in league play and 12-6 overall.
For the second consecutive day, nine total Skyhawks were undefeated. Kambree Lucas and Olivia O’Keefe earned a 2-0 mark out of the No. 2 slot while Lucy Kaufman/Addy Vaughn teamed up to go 2-0 out of the No. 3 position. Haeleigh Paulino/Jenna Vallée topped both of their competitors at No. 4 while Kayla Carrell went 2-0 out of the No. 5 spot in the lineup. Kayla Bryant and Audrey Haworth each tallied one victory at No. 5 while partnering with Carrell today.
UT Martin started its busy day against the Golden Eagles, coming away with its fourth sweep in the last five matches. Bryant/Carrell got the Skyhawks on the scoreboard with a 21-17, 21-10 victory and was followed by Paulino/Vallée powering through for a 21-17, 21-19 win. Lucas/O’Keefe managed the match-clinching point with a 21-10, 21-8 triumph before Kaufman/Vaughn earned a 21-8, 22-20 victory. At No. 1, the UT Martin duo of Dylan Mott/Logan Wallick coasted to a dominant 21-7, 21-9 win to put the finishing touches on the sweep.
In the final match of the two-day tournament, the Skyhawks nabbed victories in each of the four decisions against Lindenwood. Paulino/Vallée were responsible for a 21-6, 21-12 win while Carrell/Haworth generated a 21-13, 21-13 triumph. Kaufman/Vaughn accounted for the match-clincher with a commanding 21-6, 21-7 victory before Lucas/O’Keefe joined forces for a 21-12, 21-17 win. UT Martin nearly posted its second sweep of the day but Mott/Wallick fell 21-18, 21-14 in a hard-fought battle.
The Skyhawks will head right back to Chattanooga next weekend for the Scenic City Showdown tournament held on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1. UT Martin will play Chattanooga in an OVC contest at 10 a.m. CST on Friday before a 4 p.m. CST matchup against Carson-Newman. The final day’s schedule calls for an 8 a.m. CST match against Liberty and a 2 p.m. CST showdown against Eastern Kentucky.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information