COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee State volleyball opened Saturday's match with fire, taking the first set on the road before ultimately falling to Tennessee Tech in four (26-24, 11-25, 14-25, 15-25) inside the Eblen Center.

The Tigers (1-19, 0-7 OVC) came out aggressive, playing their most efficient set of the weekend behind sharp passing and strong front-row presence. TSU hit .244 in the opener, paced by Maygan Miller-Garcia and Julia Culpepper, while the defense frustrated Tech early with steady digs from Eirini Bitsaktsi.

After trading points through 10 ties and three lead changes, Tennessee State surged ahead 23-21 with kills from Stansberry and Aliyah Harris. Tech fought back to even the score, but the Tigers stayed composed, closing the set 26-24 on a Miller-Garcia kill and a Golden Eagle attack error to take a 1-0 match lead.

Tennessee Tech regrouped to claim the next three frames, but the Tigers continued to show fight, led by consistent defense and scrappy play across the floor. Bitsaktsi led all players with 22 digs, while Sydni Poston added 13 and Sagaia Reilly chipped in 12. Reilly also directed the offense with 24 assists, as Miller-Garcia finished with a team-high 10 kills.

By the Numbers
Maygan Miller-Garcia – 10 kills, 2 blocks
Carsyn Stansberry – 7 kills, 2 aces
Julia Culpepper – 6 kills, 1 block
Aliyah Harris – 6 kills
Eirini Bitsaktsi – 22 digs, 6 assists
Sagaia Reilly – 24 assists, 12 digs

Tennessee State returns home next week to host Lindenwood for homecoming weekend. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday night.