The Skyhawks edges out Bulldogs by posting a 3-1 victory – Volleyball News
The University of Tennessee at Martin (UT Martin) girls’ volleyball team, generally known as the Skyhawks, worked out a great win over Alabama A&M Bulldogs on Tuesday, September 6. They staged a tactful game and downed the opposite side by sending 3-1 (13-25,
25-15, 25-21, and 25-16) on to the board. Middle blocker Ashley Doherty played an instrumental role in the Skyhawks’ victory as she accounted for her career-best 18 kills in the match.The Alabama team could not match their opponents performance and ended up
with a loss.
Doherty was the top contributor with her 18 points, while her team-mates, freshman Allie Whimpey and Senior Britany Wilburn, tallied 10 points apiece. Kasey Elswick was credited for 16 digs and Kelly Hogan registered nine points for UT Martin.
First set
The Bulldogs set the pace for things in the first set with long jump-serves and cross court shots. They built an early lead and put pressure on their opponents. The Skyhawks were off to a slow start and mostly lagged behind. On the other hand, the strong
offensive attack by the Alabama A&M squad led them to success in the first set with a 12 point lead at 25-13.
Second set
Alabama A&M made a quick move in the following set and added three points while Skyhawks were yet to score. However, the lead of 3-0 did not persist for long as the Skyhawks returned in the game with some hard hitting. The counter attack of UT Martin brought
the score to 5-all. Emily Keaton’s kill put the Skyhawks in the lead at 6-5. Then they continued with success and did not allow Alabama A&M Bulldogs to bounce back in the game. The Skyhawks put together a great offensive effort and levelled the score at 1-1
by winning second set.
Third set
The Alabama team struggled to retake control of the game in the third set but they faced strong resistance from UT Martin. Skyhawks led the score at 14-8 while Alabama A&M threw everything in the attack to close the gap. The hard work paid off and they minimised
the difference of points to 17-15. Nonetheless, UT Martin squad maintained its lead. Doherty’s kills worked its magic for UT Martin and they clawed their way to another set victory in the third set.
Fourth set
Alabama A&M scored the first point in fourth set and tried to quickly add more points. Meanwhile, the Skyhawks also roared and produced convincing shots. They chipped in points via tricky bump passes and remained at close distance from the opponents. They
played fast and surpassed the Bulldogs at 10-5. The pressure was once shifted to Alabama A&M side. However, they directed off their shots in the rare gap and decreased the difference of points to 18-15. Bulldogs put up good effort but they could not avoid
defeat in the fourth set. Skyehawks closed off the set 25-16 and declared match victory.
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