Nashville, TN – Mikayla Powell led a balanced offensive attack, but the Austin Peay State University (APSU) volleyball team ran out of time to forge a fifth-set comeback and fell to Lipscomb (29-31, 25-23, 23-25, 25-19, 9-15) in ASUN Conference action, Saturday, at Allen Arena.
The first three sets tested both teams’ mettle. Lipscomb jumped out to an eight-point lead, 15-7 in the first, only to watch Austin Peay State University rally back to force overtime before the Bisons claimed a 31-29 victory.
Austin Peay (9-9, 2-5 ASUN) didn’t enjoy more than a two-point lead until the fourth set. Trailing 8-6 in the fourth, the Govs used a sequence of 2-for-1 rallies to take the lead slowly and then build a 16-13 advantage. Austin Peay took control with a 5-0 run on Kelsey Mead’s serve that gave it a 22-16 lead that proved enough of a cushion to claim the 25-19 lead.
Lipscomb (8-10, 5-2 ASUN) again took the early lead in the fifth set, only briefly relinquishing the lead on a Jaida Clark kill that gave APSU a 3-2 advantage.
But the Bisons scored five on the following six points to take the lead, 7-4. Austin Peay would not be able to tie the score again the rest of the way, and Lipscomb claimed the fifth set and the win.
Powell led Austin Peay State University with 15 kills and a .289 attack percentage. Clark chipped in 12 kills and four blocks, while Marlayna Bullington added 10 kills. Maggie Keenan enjoyed a six-block, eight-kill effort for the APSU Govs.
Erin Eisenhart, who opened the match with 12 digs in the opening set, finished with a match-best 27 digs.
Caroline Stogner led Lipscomb and all hitters with 18 kills, four service aces, five blocks, and 12 digs. Addi Pelham and Berkley Mischler joined her in double-digit kill territory with 16 and 14 kills, respectively.
Next Up for APSU Volleyball
The Austin Peay State University Governors volleyball team and the Lipscomb Bisons reprise their meeting with a Friday 6:00pm match at the Dunn Center in Clarksville.