Tech hosts Western Illinois for matinee madness Thursday and Friday
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech volleyball team will feature a pair of weekday matinees at the Hooper Eblen Center this week, playing host to Ohio Valley Conference rival Western Illinois on Thursday and Friday.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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17 | 21 | 19 | 0 |
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25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | T |
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24 | 26 | 18 | 25 | 7 | 2 |
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26 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 15 | 3 |
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Western Illinois | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .035 | .183 |
| Blocks | 8.0 | 6.0 |
| Digs | 55 | 63 |
| Aces | 2 | 2 |
Western Illinois
| Game Statistics | Western Illinois | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .222 | .255 |
| Blocks | 11.5 | 12.0 |
| Digs | 69 | 85 |
| Aces | 2 | 8 |
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech volleyball team will feature a pair of weekday matinees at the Hooper Eblen Center this week, playing host to Ohio Valley Conference rival Western Illinois on Thursday and Friday.
Both matches will feature start times of 2:00 p.m. CT and are scheduled to be steamed on ESPN+, with Dylan Vazzano providing the coverage. Fans are encouraged to wear pink throughout the weekend in honor of breast cancer awareness.
THE MATCHUPS
Thursday, October 3 – vs. Western Illinois, 2:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video
Friday, October 4 – vs. Western Illinois, 2:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video
Out of the Gates
Tech's 13-1 start to the year represents the best in program history. The Golden Eagles have slung together an eye-popping eight sweeps during the span while capturing three tournament titles during non-conference play and opening OVC action a perfect 2-0.
National Level
The purple and gold rank 13th in the country in opponent hitting percentage (.142), 14th in kills per set (14.02), 26th in aces per set (1.90), and 26th in assists per set (12.82). Senior outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen ranks fifth nationally with 4.76 kills per set, sixth with 5.50 points per set, and 24th in the country with 0.55 aces per set, while junior setter Jordan Karlen ranks 10th in the nation in assists per set with a mark of 10.88.
Playing Outside
Senior outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen was a machine for the Golden Eagles over the weekend, averaging 5.33 kills per set while hitting .327 over nine sets of action. At Tennessee State, she helped Tech rally from a 2-1 deficit by smashing 23 terminations on .300 efficiency and scooping 10 digs for a double-double. She upped the ante in the team's four-set win over Morehead State, tying her career-high of 25 kills while hitting .353. The performance tied for the fourth-most spikes in a four-set match in the rally-scoring era in Tech history. The Edwardsville, Ill. native earned her third OVC Player of the Week honor for her efforts.
Isringhausen passed Maggie Stern (1999-02) and Anne Morrow (2002-05) on Tech's all-time career charts for kills, now ranking fifth with 1,395 to her name so far. She also climbed to fifth on the all-time points list with 1,638.0, passing Amanda Lindgren (2006-009), Vanessa Johnson (1980-83), and Laura Sidorowicz (2001-04) along the way.
Setting Things Up
Junior setter Jordan Karlen quarterbacked a Golden Eagle offense that racked up 118 kills in nine sets over the weekend, averaging 9.67 assists and 4.11 digs per set while adding a pair of strong defensive performances to the mix during the week. The junior tallied her sixth and seventh double-doubles over the weekend, opening with 50 assists and a season-high 21 digs in the five-set win at TSU. In the victory over Morehead State, she turned in 37 helpers and 16 more digs with three kills across four sets. Karlen currently sits eighth on the Tech career list for assists, with 2,716 so far.
Floor General
Senior libero McKenna Young continued to cement her name in the Golden Eagle career record books, moving into second place on the all-time digs list over the weekend by passing Courtney Smith (2011-14). Now boasting 1,780 for her career, she added 21 of that total at Tennessee State on Friday, chipping in five assists to the winning effort. She followed it up with 15 more scoops and seven assists against Morehead State on Saturday.
Freshman Focus
Rookie outside Alayna Pierce Pierce put together her best defensive weekend as a Golden Eagle while still contributing significantly to the offense. The performance was enough to earn her first career OVC Freshman of the Week honor after averaging 2.78 kills and 3.11 digs per set. She started with 15 strikes, two service aces, two blocks, and nine digs in the five-set win at Tennessee State. On Saturday, Pierce helped take down Morehead State in four sets, dialing up 10 terminations to go along with a season and match-high 19 scoops.
Current OVC Rankings
A quick glance at where the Golden Eagles rank among the OVC statistical leaders:
- Hitting Percentage – Isringhausen (7th - .302)
- Kills – Isringhausen (1st - 4.76/set); Pierce (4th - 3.20/set)
- Assists – Karlen (1st - 10.88/set)
- Service Aces – Isringhausen (1st - 0.55/set); Aleeya Jones (6th - 0.35/set)
- Digs – Young (6th - 4.51/set)
- Points – Isringhausen (1st - 5.50/set)
An Honored Group
A quick look at the honors picked up by the Golden Eagles in 2024:
- Madolyn Isringhausen
- Preseason All-OVC Team
- Carrie Yerty Classic All-Tournament Team
- Carrie Yerty Classic MVP
- Charlotte Invitational All-Tournament Team
- Charlotte Invitational MVP
- Golden Eagle Invitational All-Tournament Team
- Golden Eagle Invitational MVP
- Greensboro Invitational All-Tournament Team
- 3x OVC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 2, Sept. 16, Sept. 30)
- TSWA Volleyball Player of the Week (Sept. 3)
- Mallory Jenkins
- Preseason OVC Player to Watch
- Carrie Yerty Classic All-Tournament Team
- Jordan Karlen
- Preseason All-OVC Team
- Carrie Yerty Classic All-Tournament Team
- Golden Eagle Invitational All-Tournament Team
- 2x OVC Setter of the Week (Sept. 2, Sept. 16)
- Alayna Pierce
- OVC Freshman of the Week (Sept. 30)
- Bella Powell
- Charlotte Invitational All-Tournament Team
- McKenna Young
- Charlotte Invitational All-Tournament Team
- Golden Eagle Invitational All-Tournament Team
Up Next
Tech will open a four-game road stretch next week, heading west to St. Charles, Mo. for a pair of league tests with Lindenwood. The Golden Eagles and Lions will square off Thursday, Oct. 10 at 6:00 p.m. CT before finishing the week on Friday, Oct. 11 with another 6:00 p.m. affair.
Photo by Jim Dillon
