APSU Sports Information
Martin, TN – Junior Ashley Slay finished with a match-best 16 kills, leading Austin Peay State University’s volleyball team to a three-set (25-18, 25-22, 25-18) Ohio Valley Conference victory against UT Martin, Friday night at Skyhawk Fieldhouse.
With the win, Austin Peay (20-8, 9-2 OVC) reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2010.The Govs also moved back into a tie for second place in the OVC regular-season race, which has five matches remaining.
Austin Peay is tied with SIU Edwardsville for second place, both teams one win behind Murray State.
The Governors had their hands full in the match’s first two sets, needing late bursts to take control. In the opening set, Austin Peay held a slim one-point lead at 10-18 before closing the set with six straight points and winning 25-18. Slay posted three kills in that set-ending burst, finishing the frame with seven kills.
Slay was quieter in the second set, posting just three kills, but teammates Kaitlyn Teeter (five kills) and Christina White (four kills) picked up their pace.
Austin Peay trailed midway through the set, only gaining the lead for good on a 4-0 run helped by a pair of UTM errors. The Govs nursed the resulting three point lead the rest of the way, winning 25-22.
After the break, the Governors raced out to a huge 8-0 lead in the third set, largely thanks to Slay who had four kills in the run, including three straight kills to finish the run. The Skyhawks would get no closer than six points the rest of the match as the Govs cruised to the match-clinching 25-18 win.
Slay’s 16 kills were the second most by a Govs hitter in a three-set match this season and was her ninth consecutive OVC match with double-digit kills. Teeter chipped in an 11-kill performance while hitting .350 for the contest.
Austin Peay opened with 16-efforts in the first and second sets, finishing the match with 44 kills and a .263 attack percentage The Governors also won both ends of the defensive battle, posting a 44-32 edge in digs and a 9-4 margin in blocks.
UT Martin (7-19, 3-8 OVC) was held to 31 kills and a .131 attack percentage. Kelly Lean led UTM with seven kills and a .286 attack percentage.