Volleyball Defeats UT Martin in Four Sets

Tuesday, October 22

Martin, Tenn.

6:00 PM CT

Middle Tennessee

-813,15 CUSA

UT Martin

7-16,3-5OVC

Middle Tenn.

UT Martin

10/22/2019 8:45:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score

By: @MTAthletics

MARTIN, Tenn.—The Middle Tennessee volleyball team defeated UT Martin Tuesday evening in four sets by scores of 25-23, 23-25, 25-20, 27-25. The Blue Raiders improve to 8-13 on the season, while the Skyhawks fall to 7-16 overall.

Senior Dora Peonia led the match in kills with 21 total, and finished with a .636 hitting percentage. Taylor Hammill dished out an impressive 48 assists and 15 digs to record her ninth double-double on the season. Bri Tankesley needed six digs going into the match to reach the 1,000 career-digs mark, which she easily surpassed, tallying 12 digs total in the four sets. Mikaela Weidmann had a season-high night, finishing with 11 kills, two aces, six digs and eight total blocks.

Set-By-Set
The Blue Raiders took a 2-1 lead in set one with back-to-back kills from Neimantaite and Peonia, but the Skyhawks tied it up with a kill. The two teams battled point for point, with 15 total tied scores in the set. The last tied score was 23-23, when a Mikaela Weidmann service ace and a UT Martin attacking error gave MT the set, 25-23. Peonia led the attacks with five kills in the set.

MT took the first point of set two and got to a 2-1 lead with two Neimantaite kills. The Skyhawks came back and took the lead at 4-3, holding on to the lead the rest of the set. The Blue Raiders came within one at 24-23 with a Weidmann kill, but UT Martin claimed the set 25-23 with a kill.

The Skyhawks took a quick 7-3 lead in set three, but the Blue Raiders tied it up at 10-10 after going on a 5-0 run, and then took the lead at 13-12 with a Peonia kill. MT continued on a 4-0 run that included kills from Peonia and Weidmann, and then held on to the lead the rest of the set. The Blue Raiders claimed the set, 25-20. Tankesley dished out four digs in the set, one of which was her 1,000^th career-dig.

In set four, the Blue Raiders got to a 2-0 lead with a Neimantaite kill and Skyhawk attacking error. MT continued with the lead until UT Martin tied it up at 11-11, and then took a 15-14 lead with a service ace. The Blue Raiders came back and tied it up again, 23-23, and the two teams battled back-and-forth until MT claimed the set 27-25, to take the match.

Team Notes

Dora Peonia has led the team attacks on nine occasions and has recorded nine double-doubles on the season.
Urte Neimantaite tallied a career-high 19 kills on two occasions, against Tennessee Tech and Marshall. She has one double-double on the season and has led the team attacks on seven occasions.
Neimantaite is ranked 10^th in the conference for her average 3.16 kills per set.
Taylor Hammill recorded her 2,000^th career-assist against Marshall on October 11. She has also recorded nine double-doubles this season. Hammill is ranked third in the conference for her 9.93 assists per set.
Hammill has a season-high 52 assists and 18 digs.
Bri Tankesley recorded her 1,000^th dig against UT Martin on October 22. She also recorded a career-high four aces against Alabama A&M and a season-high 26 digs against Marshall.
Tankesley is also ranked ninth in the conference for her average 3.66 digs per set.
Kayla Henley has recorded four double-doubles on the season. She also tallied a career-high 19 digs against Western Illinois.
Marley Banton leads the team with a total 19 aces on the year.
Mikaela Weidmann leads the team in blocks with 65.0.

Up Next
The Blue Raiders are on the road this weekend, traveling first to Denton, Texas for a conference matchup against North Texas Friday evening, and then to Hattiesburg, Miss. to face Southern Miss Sunday afternoon.

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