After tallying another set of losses last weekend, the Golden Eagles volleyball team will continue to look for its second OVC win this weekend against SIUE and Eastern Illinois.
The Golden Eagles fell to 1-11 in OVC play last weekend as they dropped matches against Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky, but not without a fight.
The Golden Eagles were knocked off 25-20, 25-19, 25-21 in three sets by Morehead State Friday. However, their efforts did not go unnoticed as they were met with a post-match standing ovation from the crowd at the Hooper Eblen Center.
Senior Elise Robertson and junior Ellen Conti lead the Golden Eagles offensively as both landed seven kills Friday evening. Senior Ashleigh Hancock aided the offense, tallying 22 assists, four digs, one block and one kill.
“We stepped up as a team and were competitive with the number one team in the OVC,” said Conti. “We only lost by five but we still lost and that’s frustrating. We have to get over the hump and start closing out matches and I think we are getting close.”
Sophomore Cody Dodd took hold of the Golden Eagles defense as she led her team with six blocks.
Tech lost in three sets by an average of only five points, a much-improved margin from October’s outing, when an average 8.3 points difference through three sets swept the team.
Morehead State sits atop the OVC with a record of 12-0.
Tech took Friday’s offensive improvements and ran with them as they came out hot Saturday afternoon against Eastern Kentucky. Tallying 17 kills in the opening set, the Golden Eagles looked to dominate the Colonels.
While Eastern Kentucky put down two less kills in the opening set, the team’s .351 hitting percentage flattened the Golden Eagles .267 percentage, leading to a go ahead 25-23 victory to start the match.
Tech was led again by junior Ellen Conti who put away 11 kills and seven digs while junior Courtney Smith led the team defensively with 20 digs.
Unable to play ahead, the Golden Eagles fell to the Colonels 25-23, 25-21, 25-17 in a three set sweep that put Eastern Kentucky 8-5 in OVC play.
The Golden Eagles travel to SIU-Edwardsville Nov. 8 for a 7 p.m. match. Then face EIU on Nov. 9 at 2 p.m in the last away match of the season.
The Golden Eagles return home to finish the season with matches on Nov. 12 and 16
