MARTIN, Tenn. - The Tennessee State volleyball team fell to the UT Martin Skyhawks on Tuesday evening in their OVC opener 3-1 (18-25, 25-27, 25-22, 17-25) on the road at the Skyhawk Fieldhouse.
The loss dropped Tennessee State's record to 6-8 overall and 0-1 in OVC play.
The Tiger offense was paced by Celestial Miller, who finished with 14 kills on the day. Johanna Alcantara added 12 and Kennedy Davis chipped in with 10 as part of balanced Tennessee State attack. Gina Rivera-Ortiz chipped in 25 digs, along with six blocks from Gabrielle Johnson to lead them defensively.
Game Notes
» Tennessee State had three players in double figures in kills.
» Login Williams had a match-high three aces in the loss.
» Celestial Miller had a team-high 14 kills for Tennessee State.
» Tennessee State got a match-high 25 digs from Gina Rivera-Ortiz.
» Tennessee State attackers were helped by a team-high 22 assists from Login Williams.
"It's extremely hard, especially on the road," stated head coach Donika Sutton. "We got a taste of how aggressive the OVC is and what to expect as we prepare for a good SEMO team. We have to grow from here."
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Tigers found themselves in an early hole, dropping a tough first set 25-18. Tennessee State trailed by as many as seven points as UT Martin grabbed the advantage for good at 4-3 in a set that was notted up three times before the Skyhawks took control.
SET 2 | Tennessee State then dropped the second set 27-25 to fall behind in the match two sets to none. TSU fell in a tight second set, losing in a stanza that was tied 10 times and had four lead changes. TSU led 11-6 before allowing UT Martin to claw back.
SET 3 | Tennessee State fought back to pull within two sets to one, winning their first set of the match in the third stanza. The Tigers took the set 25-22 thanks to a solid performance on the attacking end. Tennessee State put together a .316 attack percentage with 15 kills in the set win. The Tigers opened up a 14-9 lead in the stanza and coasted to victory from there. The Tennessee State offense also got a boost from four aces in the stanza.
SET 4 | Tennessee State couldn't build off the set-three victory and lost in the fourth set 25-17 to drop the match. The Tigers trailed by as many as 11 points as UT Martin grabbed the advantage for good at 9-8 and Tennessee State wasn't able to recover in a set that was tied up six times before the Skyhawks took over.
TSU will be back in action this weekend as they are set to travel to Southeast Missouri State University for two OVC matches. TSU will get the weekend started on Friday night with a 6:00 p.m. first serve in Girardeau, followed by a 7:00 p.m. showdown on Saturday night.
