Tech volleyball gets sweep over Western Illinois

By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations

MACOMB, Ill. – The Tennessee Tech volleyball team will head back to Cookeville Friday in first place in the Ohio Valley Conference after the Golden Eagles complete the two-match sweep over Western Illinois.

Tech (5-9, 2-0 OVC) swept the match itself with a 25-19, 25-18 and 25-20 victory.

Ava Schubert led the Golden Eagles offensively with 10 kills on 16 swings for a .500 hitting percentage, while Bella Powell had nine kills and Tuva Falk seven. Jordan Karlen had 26 assists to go with her own six kills, along with seven digs and one assisted block. MK Roberts had a team-best 11 digs, while the Golden Eagles had six block assists with two for Jordyn Milhouse.

As a team, Tech hit .295 with 38 total kills.

Keyana Cruse led Western Illinois (3-12, 0-2 OVC) with 12 kills, while Kennedy Adair had four. Madelyn Norton had six assists, while Alysia Perez collected six. The Leathernecks had a .074 hitting percentage with 23 total kills.

In the first set tied at 10, Western Illinois climbed out to a 15-11 advantage, but the Golden Eagles soared back to tie the match once more at 15, then again at 17. Tech outscored WIU 8-2 to close out the set. Powell had six kills in the set, while Schubert brought down four.

Tech started off the second set with a 7-3 lead only to see the Leathernecks battle back to a 12-12 tie. From there, the Golden Eagles went on an 8-2 run to lead 20-14, bolstered by a pair of service aces from MK Roberts, as well as kills from Falk and Schubert. Tech held on, outscoring WIU 5-4 to end the set 25-18.

Falk and Karlen had three kills in the set to pace the way.

The third set saw the hosts eke out a lead and the Golden Eagles come back with 10 ties and four lead changes. With the set square at 15, Tech outscored the Leathernecks 10-5 to close out the match with the sweep.

Schubert had five kills in the finale, while Falk and Karlen added three more to their tallies.

The Golden Eagles return to action next week as they host Southeast Missouri on Thursday and Friday. All volleyball matches at the Hooper Eblen Center are open to the public.