TTU Eagles receive another big blow from Jacksonville volleyball team
Tennessee Tech University volleyball team went up against the Jacksonville Gamecocks on Tuesday, October 4, in the 17th game of the season. Cookeville, Tennessee hosted the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) match, where the hosts suffered a loss in five sets
2-3 (25-20, 22-25, 23-25, 25-15, 11-15).
Gamecocks staged an eye-catching action of volleyball and downed the opposite side in a five-set thriller. Success against Eagles improved their win/loss record to 6-11, while Eagles were pushed to 2-15 for the season. The spectators got to witness intense
rivalry on centre court as three of the first four sets concluded with the difference of five points or fewer.
Nicole Merget was the most effective player on Jacksonville side as she put the Gamecocks in the front row. She clipped 13 kills with an attack percentage of .545. Equally talented and the top defender of Jacksonville State University Kelly Cole pitched
out 24 digs and saved many crucial points.
On the other hand, Eagles’ Freshman Ellen Conti topped all the scorers. She recorded 19 kills in the match and set a new career-high record for herself. Her team-mate, Sophomore Natalie Penrod, helped the Eagles with 11 kills and 10 digs. Allison May did
an amazing job at defence and notched a match-high 46 digs. Likewise, junior Madison Comperry tallied 43 assists and also got 15 digs.
The match was opened on a very good note as both teams produced powerful serves and tried to take the early advantage. The score was close and there was nothing to separate the two teams before the second technical timeout. Hosts had good support of the
local fans and having the competitive edge in the game, they secured the opening set with a five-point margin of 25-20.
The Gamecocks hit back strongly in the second set and threw everything in attack to cover the deficit. Tennessee Tech girls fought bravely but could not stop the visitors to capture the second set. TTU dropped the set by trailing behind by 3 points at 22-25.
Following the tie of 1-1 in the match, the third set turned into a heated competition. Jacksonville side struggled to carry the momentum and continued with hard-hitting, while Eagles put in valiant effort to break their rhythm. However, Gamecocks extended
their lead to 2-1 by winning anther set in the match.
It was tough challenge but hosts managed to create a dead-lock of 2-2 after taking the fourth set. In the fifth set, Gamecocks opened up with several multi-point leads and exerted pressure on Eagles. They picked up 11-9 lead and finished the set on a 4-2
run to take the set 15-11 and the match.
Next up, Jacksonville team will travel to Richmond, Kentucky on Friday, in order to take on Eastern Kentucky Colonels. The Eagles will also hit the road for a two-match stretch starting with Morehead State on October 7.
Tags: