GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University women's volleyball team won all six sets played this week, closing out the stretch with a thumping of Coker on Friday (Oct. 11) night.
The Pioneers (7-9, 5-3 SAC) defeated the Cobras (3-10, 2-6 SAC) by scores of 25-16, 25-21, 25-10).
Coker was led by six kills from Cayla Gilmore. Taylor Hills and Alyssa Carey were just behind with five kills. Both Laila Hixon and Maddy Roberts tallied 11 assists apiece. Hixon and Roberts were responsible for the Cobra aces. Meadow Morse (12), Hixon (12), and Roberts (10) reached double figures in digs. Kailyn Ivey was credited with three total blocks (two solo, one assist).
For Tusculum, Martina Foster crushed 14 kills on a .346 hitting percentage. Addison McLarty was close behind with 10 strikes on a .321 clip. Whitney Thompson (6), Jordyn Roderick (3), Olivia Crowl (3), and Madison Adkins (1) rounded out the scoring. Adkins dished out 32 assists and was one of six Pioneers to record a pair of aces: Sofia De Los Mozos, Amiranee Au, Taylor Sanders, Foster, and Macey Snapp. Au finished with a match-high 16 digs, while Foster assisted in five blocks, just ahead of Thompson's four (one solo, three assists).
Coker hit .048 as a team with 29 kills and 23 errors on 126 total attempts. Tusculum hit .248 with 37 kills, 11 errors, and 105 total attacks. The Pioneers led the Cobras in assists (35-29), service aces (12-2), digs (58-55), and total blocks (7-4).
Tusculum started the match strong offensively, hitting .429 with 14 kills, but the tone was set behind the service line. The Pioneers landed seven aces in the opening frame. Foster added five kills, while Thompson went 3-for-5 on her attempts. The teams jostled for position as the match began. TU opened up a three-point edge with Snapp behind the line, growing to five with Au at the helm (10-5). Coker climbed back within one, but Foster fought back. After a kill, she stepped behind the line, sandwiching a McLarty kill between a pair of aces (11-6). TU landed three more aces in the frame as the front row went to work with four more kills to close out.
Both teams struggled offensively in the second set with TU outhitting CU .073 to .036. Tusculum used other facets of its game to pull out a 2-0 match lead: four aces, 25 digs, and three blocks (all featuring Foster). The Pioneers shot out to a 4-0 advantage behind an Adkins and Foster block, a Sanders ace, and a pair of attack errors by Coker. The Cobras scored three-straight, keeping the set within two scores. Roderick (kill) and Au (ace), combined with a Thompson/Foster rejection gave TU some breathing room once again (10-6). However, CU fought back to take the lead at 17-16. Tusculum swung the momentum, retaking the 20-17 advantage. The visitors returned the favor to tie the second set at 20-all. The Pioneers rattled off four-straight scores to force set-point. Coker fought it off once, but Foster extended the match lead.
The Pioneers hit .306 with 14 kills while holding the Cobras to a negative clip (-.079). Coker was only able to manage three ties as Tusculum held the lead the remainder of the match. Both McLarty and Foster landed six kills each with neither recording an error. TU had runs of six, four, and seven to cruise to victory. The latter stretch was highlighted by four kills by Foster alone. McLarty added three-straight scores as Tusculum led 23-8. McLarty and Crowl went back-to-back to earn the Pioneers their fifth SAC win.
Tusculum will look to avenge a five-set loss against Carson-Newman on Tuesday (Oct. 15). The match in Jefferson City is scheduled for a 7 p.m. first serve.
