Clarksville, TN – The best word to describe Austin Peay State University (APSU) volleyball’s Mikayla Powell’s first day of the Stacheville Challenge: dominant.
After tallying a career-high 23 kills in Austin Peay State University’s 3-1 win over North Dakota State, the senior followed up with a career-best .684 hitting percentage in her team’s three-game sweep of East Tennessee, Friday, by scores of 25-23, 25-23, and 25-18.
The Governors, who hosted the Buccaneers for the first time in six all-time meetings, won for the first time in the series since a 3-0 sweep on September 7th, 2012, ending a two-match skid. Austin Peay State University improved to 4-2 in the series.
Powell, who tied a match-high with 14 kills, put together the fifth-best hitting-percentage performance in program history (15-19 attacks).
Austin Peay State University stretched its win streak inside the Winfield Dunn Center to 14 matches, the second-longest in program history, one shy of tying the record set during the 1991-92 seasons.
East Tennessee (5-6) was swept for the first time in eight matches.
In set one, the Buccaneers jumped out to a 4-1 advantage, scoring the first three points via a pair of blocks and an Austin Peay State University blocking error. The Governors responded with four-straight points and six of the next seven before East Tennessee countered with four-consecutive to grab a 10-8 edge.
East Tennessee scored three-straight points and five of six to go on top, 20-15. Austin Peay State University rallied with three-straight points courtesy of consecutive kills by Tegan Seyring and a service ace by Maggie Keenan. Marlayna Bullington tallied three-straight kills to bring the Governors within one, 23-22.
Back-to-back kills by Powell put her team in front, 24-23. APSUy tallied five-straight points and seven of the final eight, ending the set with a Bullington service ace.
Austin Peay State University ended a stretch of six-straight set losses in the series and a Buccaneers’ streak of four-straight set wins this season. Powell had a set-high six kills and .714 hitting percentage in the game, which featured seven ties.
East Tennessee built a 4-1 upper hand for a second-straight set, but the Governors rallied to tie at six via back-to-back combination blocks. Consecutive service aces by Janvier Buggs were part of a 3-0 Austin Peay State University spurt, but the Buccaneers responded with three-straight to take a 17-13 lead.
APSU rallied with five-straight points, as Bullington and Seyring kills sandwiched a service ace by Sadie Edmonston, making the score 18-17. The Governors scored six of seven to grab a 19-18 lead.
After East Tennessee scored three-consecutive kills to go up 21-19, Austin Peay State University rallied with 4-0 run, including three-consecutive kills by Powell, as her 11th of the night pushed the game to set point. Powell scored her squad’s final four points of the frame, and the Governors recorded five of the final six.
Powell totaled 12 kills and a .647 hitting percentage through the first two sets. Jaida Clark netted a .364 kill percentage through the same stretch.
The APSU Governors turned the tables in the third set, jumping out to a 4-1 lead off back-to-back service aces from Bullington. A Keenan kill concluded a 3-0 run to make the score 10-5.
Another 3-0 spurt, including two Powell, kills, stretched Austin Peay’s advantage to 15-8. The Governors scored nine of 12 points to go on top 21-11. A Payton Deidesheimer kill ended the first match between the teams since 2016.
Austin Peay hit .448 in the final stanza.
Bullington ended with 10 kills and a .316 hitting percentage. Clark had seven kills and a .429 kill percentage. Kelsey Mead notched her second-straight and sixth double-double with 22 digs and 12 digs. Erin Eisenhart came up wth 11 digs. Buggs tied a season-high with 17 assists, her 14th-straight in double figures. Buggs and Bullington each had three service aces.Austin Peay State University ended with a season-high .320 kill percentage, its highest in the last 12 matches.
The Austin Peay State University volleyball team concludes the tournament Saturday by hosting UT Martin. The first serve is set for 1:30pm CT.
