Austin Peay Sports Information
Clarksville, TN – Back-to-back contests against opponents atop the Ohio Valley Conference await Austin Peay State University’s volleyball team as it hosts Tennessee State in a 6:00pm, Friday contest followed by a 1:00pm, Saturday matchup with Belmont.
The two matches follow an outing against Eastern Illinois, which is tied with TSU, and a matchup against league-leading Murray State that started the five-match stretch.
Through the five-match stretch against the league’s top teams, the Lady Govs have proven to be a tough out. Austin Peay pushed both Murray State and Eastern Illinois before ultimately falling. The Lady Govs passing and defense have been its Achilles heel at the beginning of the stretch, with the team losing both ends of the battle, 13.92-15.50 in digs and 1.67-2.33 in blocks.
“We are going through a part of our schedule that has been and will be a tough test every night,” said Lady Govs head Taylor Mott. “There have been encouraging signs in each of our last three matches that show how close we are to breaking through. The only thing holding us back is ourselves and the ability to remain focused throughout a match.”
Sophomore Ashley Slay has led Austin Peay with 29 kills (2.42 per set) in the last three matches, including 15 in a victory against SIUE that was sandwiched between the Murray State and Eastern Illinois losses. Seniors Aubrey Marsellis and Samantha Strother have each posted 25 kills (2.08 per set) during the same stretch. That trio has accounted for more than 60 percent of APSU’s kills.
“Ashley, Aubrey and Samantha have found their stride offensively,” said Mott. “It seems as they go so goes the team. The energy and excitement they bring to the court is important for us every time we step out to compete.”
Video
Assistant coach Brian Netzler previews APSU’s upcoming matches with Tennessee State and Belmont.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntne2iEj71M[/youtube]
