Oct. 14, 2006

Box Score

MARTIN, Tenn. - Southeast Missouri State finished its weekend road trip here today with a 3-1 loss (20-30, 30-25, 25-30, 26-30) to host UT Martin at UTM's Skyhawk Fieldhouse. With the win, the Skyhawks improve their season record to 16-6 (5-3 Ohio Valley Conference), while the Redhawks fall to 10-12 (4-4) on the year.

Senior outside hitter Jessica Koeper (Jackson, Mo./Jackson) led Southeast with 14 kills and 14 digs on the day, while freshman libero Molly Davis (Muncie, Ind./Burris) posted a team-best 22 digs. Freshman libero Taylor Harbster (Grand Prairie, Texas/South Grand Prairie) and freshman right side hitter Karleigh DeLong (Corona, Calif./Santiago) produced 12 and 10 digs, respectively. Sophomore setter Alyssa Aston (Franklin, Tenn./Franklin) tallied 19 assists and junior Brittany Hastings (Wichita, Kan./Circle) recorded eight kills for the Redhawks.

In the first game, Southeast jumped to an early 8-3 lead on a Hastings kill. UT Martin climbed back to take an 12-10 lead thanks to an 9-2 scoring drive culminating with a kill by Kathryn Sprague. After a Sarah Jett kill helped the Skyhawks score five quick points to claim a 20-15 advantage. The Redhawks closed to within 22-18 on a kill by Aston, but UT Martin captured a one-game lead after tallying an 8-2 game-closing run.

Consecutive kills from junior middle blocker Brenna Schlader (Columbia, Mo./Hickman) and sophomore outside hitter Kim Unnerstall (Washington, Mo./St. Francis Borgia) gave the visitors a 17-13 lead in the second game. Sophomore middle blocker Katrina Niemeyer (Germantown, Ill./Mater Dei) increased Southeast's advantage to a 21-16 margin, but a quick 7-4 scoring run helped UT Martin slice its deficit to 25-23 on a Redhawk hitting error. Another kill by Hastings helped the Redhawks post a 5-2 run that evened the match at 1-1 heading into intermission.

Six straight service points from Jett snapped an early 6-6 tie in the third game to propel UT Martin to a 12-6 lead and later hiked its advantage to 17-7 on a kill by Jamie Hollins. Southeast came back to close within 19-16 on a Koeper kill, but the Skyhawks captured a 2-1 lead by scoring 11 of the game's final 19 points that ended with three straight points off the serve of Lauren Montague.

Down 10-8 in the fourth game, UT Martin used five service points from Hollins, including two service aces, to post a 13-10 lead. Southeast later bounced back with two kills from freshman middle blocker Hannah Weis (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word) and a kill from Unnerstall to even the score at 17-17. Morgan Kilpatrick posted a service ace that handed the home team a 25-22 lead and the Skyhawks scored five of the final nine points to win the match.

Taylor Noland and Anna Gastreau paced the Skyhawks with 14 kills and 29 digs, respectively. UT Martin also received a pair of double-double efforts from Hollins (10 kills and 17 digs) and Sprague (10 kills and 10 blocks [four solo, six assisted]), while Shelby Knose tallied 27 assists.

The Redhawks open a two-match homecoming stretch next week starting Oct. 20 when defending OVC Tournament champion Jacksonville State comes to Houck Fieldhouse with a start time of 7 p.m.