APSU Sports Information
Richmond, KY – Junior Ashley Slay and freshman Cecily Gable combined for 25 kills, leading Austin Peay State University’s volleyball team to a four-set victory (25-11, 16-25, 25-19, 25-20) against Eastern Kentucky, Saturday afternoon at McBrayer Arena.
The Govs roared out to a 10-2 lead, needing only four kills to get the first 10 points on the board as Eastern Kentucky committed six errors.
Austin Peay would maintain that lead and closed with eight of the final 10 points to claim the set.
Eastern Kentucky (6-10, 1-3 OVC) turned the tables in the second set as the Govs could not piece together a run.
The Govs committed 13 errors in the second set, including three in a crucial five-point run late that helped EKU get to set point. Austin Peay fended off three set point chances, but committed a service error to level the match.
After the break, Austin Peay took control of the third and fourth sets early. The Govs opened the third frame with a 7-3 run and EKU would get no closer than three points the rest of the set. Austin Peay nearly checked out again in the fourth, again opening with a 7-3 run.
Eastern Kentucky would rally late, scoring seven of nine points at one point to get within a point, 21-20. But the Govs scored the final four points, including two kills by Gable to clinch the match.
Slay led Austin Peay with a 13-kill outing that saw her hit .355 while adding three service aces and six blocks. Her six-block outing pushed her past 200 blocks for her career, making her the 11th Govs player to reach the milestone.
Gable added 12 kills while sophomore Kaylee Taff chipped in nine kills. That trio accounted for 34 of the Govs 48 kills in the contest. Austin Peay hit .231 for the match while outhitting the Colonels by a 48-40 margin.
Nikki Dorst led Eastern Kentucky with 12 kills, but was the only EKU hitter in double-digit kill territory. The Colonels were held to a .096 attack percentage with 40 kills and 27 attack errors.
Inside The Box Score
Slay notches 200th block
Ashley Slay notched a match-best six blocks at Eastern Kentucky, finishing the match with 201 career blocks. She became just the Govs player to reach the 200-block milestone and the fifth to do so since 2010. Slay needs seven blocks to move into 10th on the list, currently held by Yolanda Westfield (207 blocks, 1987-91).
Ebright Big on Defense
Sammie Ebright had a quiet offensive night, but compensated with a solid outing on defense. Her season-best 12 digs led the Govs 46-dig outing that helped hold the Colonels to a .096 attack percentage. Ebright also had four blocks, second on the team behind Slay.
Stucker’s Solid Outing
Kristen Stucker continued her jill-of-all-trades effort finishing with 37 assists and 11 digs for her seventh double-double. She also had four kills in the outing while posting a .600 attack percentage.
Topsy-Turvy Night in the OVC
Austin Peay’s win loomed large as the day around the conference evolved. Belmont and Murray State each suffered losses, dropping both to 3-1. The Govs ended the OVC’s second week tied for second with those two squads along with Jacksonville State. That quartet is behind a 4-0 SIUE unit the Govs will face next week.
Austin Peay continues its four-match OVC road trip next week when it travels to Eastern Illinois for a 7:00pm, Friday contest.
