Story from TTUSports.com
Herald-Citizen
UC Daily News, Cookeville, Tenn.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - "Success is dependent on effort."
It seems the Tennessee Tech volleyball team knows this proverb first hand.
In a hard fought match Saturday, the Golden Eagles put out a huge effort, and now have the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference crown to prove it. The 3-2 victory over the Murray State Racers now vaults Tech into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997.
Tournament MVP Kappy Lang led the way with 62 assists, 13 digs, four kills, and two service aces. Four in purple-and-white reached double-figures in the kills stat box. Amanda Lindgren had 20 herself. She was followed by OVC Player of the Year Leah Meffert, who had 16. Marie Peddicord totaled 15 kills, and Jessica Asplund followed her with 13.
By the end of the first set, it was clear that the fight for the 2008 OVC tourney championship was going to be a tightly-contested matter. The Racers jumped out to win the first set of the match by a 25-23 score. Tech rallied back to take sets two and three by the scores of 25-15 and 25-20 respectively. Murray State came back to win set four by a final score of 26-24. It then all came down to the grudge-match in set five, where Murray kept it tied on several occasions up to an 11-11 score. The Golden Eagles then found an opportunity to open the score up in their favor.
Asplund and Caitlin Bullock hit back-to-back kills to make the score go to 13-11 in Tech's favor. Murray's Logan Sue then scored a point on a kill to run the score to 13-12. Racer Becca Lamb committed an error to put the score at 14-12.
That set up the deciding score of the match.
Teresa Craig served to restart action, and after a short time of bouncing on either side of the net, Lang got assist number 62 on the night, and got the ball to Lindgren. She proceeded to crush the ball onto the Racer side of the court for her 20th kill, and the championship-clincher.
OVC Defensive Player of the Year Katie Kenline was another achiever in the match for Tech with 21 digs.
Leading the way for Murray State were Sara Hayden with 17 kills, Jade Guo with 45 assists, and Kayleah Sauer with 24 digs.
The victory represents the first conference championship for OVC Coach of the Year John Blair and Assistant Coach Jessica Lane. It follows a sweeping of the Austin Peay Lady Govs in the OVC Semifinals Friday. Tech won that match by the scores of 25-12, 25-22, and 25-21.
The tournament victories follow a 17-11 regular season for the Golden Eagles, in which they went 14-4 in conference play. That was good enough for OVC regular season co-championship honors, a first-round bye through the tournament, and the right to host the event at the Eblen Center in Cookeville.
Next on the schedule for the NCAA Tourney-bound Golden Eagles is a pre-tourney event in Louisville against the Cardinals. That match is set to be played on Saturday at 1 PM. The NCAAs are scheduled to begin on Thursday, December 4th, but place and time are still unknown. Those will be determined in the selection this Sunday.
GO TECH!
By the end of the first set, it was clear that the fight for the 2008 OVC tourney championship was going to be a tightly-contested matter. The Racers jumped out to win the first set of the match by a 25-23 score. Tech rallied back to take sets two and three by the scores of 25-15 and 25-20 respectively. Murray State came back to win set four by a final score of 26-24. It then all came down to the grudge-match in set five, where Murray kept it tied on several occasions up to an 11-11 score. The Golden Eagles then found an opportunity to open the score up in their favor.
Asplund and Caitlin Bullock hit back-to-back kills to make the score go to 13-11 in Tech's favor. Murray's Logan Sue then scored a point on a kill to run the score to 13-12. Racer Becca Lamb committed an error to put the score at 14-12.
That set up the deciding score of the match.
Teresa Craig served to restart action, and after a short time of bouncing on either side of the net, Lang got assist number 62 on the night, and got the ball to Lindgren. She proceeded to crush the ball onto the Racer side of the court for her 20th kill, and the championship-clincher.
OVC Defensive Player of the Year Katie Kenline was another achiever in the match for Tech with 21 digs.
Leading the way for Murray State were Sara Hayden with 17 kills, Jade Guo with 45 assists, and Kayleah Sauer with 24 digs.
The victory represents the first conference championship for OVC Coach of the Year John Blair and Assistant Coach Jessica Lane. It follows a sweeping of the Austin Peay Lady Govs in the OVC Semifinals Friday. Tech won that match by the scores of 25-12, 25-22, and 25-21.
The tournament victories follow a 17-11 regular season for the Golden Eagles, in which they went 14-4 in conference play. That was good enough for OVC regular season co-championship honors, a first-round bye through the tournament, and the right to host the event at the Eblen Center in Cookeville.
Next on the schedule for the NCAA Tourney-bound Golden Eagles is a pre-tourney event in Louisville against the Cardinals. That match is set to be played on Saturday at 1 PM. The NCAAs are scheduled to begin on Thursday, December 4th, but place and time are still unknown. Those will be determined in the selection this Sunday.
GO TECH!
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