Clarksville, TN – Winners of their last five matches, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) volleyball team plays its first matches in Tennessee this season with three contests on the schedule. The Govs open the week with a Wednesday 5:00pm match at Chattanooga.
The return to the Volunteer State follows the APSU Govs tournament victory at Lindenwood last weekend. Austin Peay swept host Lindenwood before picking up back-to-back five-set wins against Indiana State and Louisiana-Monroe. Those three wins ran the Govs win streak to five matches, their longest win streak since the 2021 season.
Outside hitter Mikayla Powell powered the APSU Govs all weekend, finishing the Lindenwood tourney with 72 kills (5.54 per set) while notching a .380 attack percentage on her 158 attempts. After posting 18 kills against Lindenwood, she tied her career high with 24 kills against Indiana State.
Powell saved her best for last with a career-best 30 kills against ULM which was the fourth 30-kill performance in program history. She earned the Atlantic Sun Conference’s and Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Volleyball Player of the Award Tuesday.
Through The Rotation
After her big weekend in Lindenwood, Powell moved to 15th in Division I with 97 total kills while her 3.88 kills per set ranks 64th in the division. She ranks first in the Atlantic Sun in total kills and second in the league in kills per set.
Also making a big move over the weekend was middle blocker Maggie Keenan, who had 18 blocks (1.38 per set) at the Lindenwood Invitational. She now leads the ASUN in blocks (34) and blocks per set (1.36) through two weeks and is 10th and 50th among Division I leaders, respectively.
Setter Kelsey Mead took over as the APSU Govs primary setter as the team switched from a 6-2 to a 5-1 offense last weekend. She paced the Govs to a .257 team attack percentage and 13.92 kills per set. Mead averaged 10.46 assists per set and had 12 kills, a team-best 50 digs (3.85 per set), and eight blocks. The Atlantic Sun Conference named her its Setter of the Week Tuesday.
Outside hitter Elizabeth Wheat’s followed her breakout performance at UAB with another solid weekend at Lindenwood. She again ended a weekend with back-to-back double-digit kill outings, posting 11 kills against Indiana State and 13 kills against ULM. Wheat is second on the team with 62 kills (2.48 per set) after two weekends.
Outside hitter Payton Deidesheimer followed her 24-kill effort at the UAB tournament with 22 kills at Lindenwood. She is third on the team with 46 kills (2.19 per set)
With team’s taking aim at Mead, libero Kalliann Cook finished second on the team with 47 digs at Lindenwood. She still notched a season-best 24 digs against Indiana State followed by 16 digs against ULM. Her 85 digs (3.40 per set) leads the APSU Govs, who are averaging 14.96 digs per set this season.
Speaking of digs, Austin Peay State University recorded 215 digs during the Lindenwood tournament, averaging 16.54 digs per set, and held their three opponents to a .175 attack percentage. Five Govs defenders averaged two digs per set or better during the weekend.
Meanwhile, the APSU Govs front-row defense registered 31 blocks – a 2.38 block per set pace. Eight Govs defenders were credited with a block in the weekend’s three matches.
Setting The Scene
Austin Peay State University women’s volleyball head coach Taylor Mott entered 2023 within sight of two significant career milestones. After five wins in the opening two weekens, she is two wins away from career victory No. 500
In addition, Mott needs seven wins to reach Austin Peay State University victory No. 200, which, when she gets that milestone this season, would put her ahead of the victory pace set by APSU Hall of Fame Coach Cheryl Holt.
Austin Peay State University is out to a 5-1 start in 2022. It is only the third time during Mott’s 12-season career the APSU Govs have posted five or more wins in their first six matches. This season’s team joins the league championship teams in 2017 (5-1) and 2018 (6-0) for starts of five wins or better after six matches.
This weekend Austin Peay State University hosts the Stacheville Challenge – the seventh time APSU has hosted an in-season tournament since 1980. APSU is 21-4 (.840) in its home tournament, winning the 1980, 2000, 2008, and 2022 editions.
With the Austin Peay State University men’s and women’s basketball teams departing for the new F&M Bank Arena in Downtown Clarksville, the Austin Peay State University volleyball team becomes the only team playing in the Dunn Center. At a seating capacity of more than 5,500 in its current configuration, the Dunn Center is among the largest volleyball-only facilities in Division I.
Inside The Series
Chattanooga
Series: Austin Peay State University leads 23-14.
Last Meeting: Chattanooga def. APSU, 3-0 (2015)
Notably: The Battle of I-24 resumes after laying dormant since 2015. Chattanooga won the last two meetings in the series, winning the 2014 meeting in Clarksville and the 2015 match in Chattanooga. Austin Peay State University is 11-9 all-time at Chattanooga.
Valparaiso
Series: Valparaiso leads 3-0.
Last Meeting: Valparaiso def. APSU, 3-1 (2016)
Notable: The Govs and Beacons meet for the fourth time this weekend and for the first time in Clarksville. Valparaiso has won all three previous meetings, the last of those matchups coming in 2016 as part of Troy’s Trojan Invitational.
Indiana
Series: Indiana leads 1-0.
Last Meeting: Indiana def. Austin Peay State University, 3-1 (2003)
Notably: It’s been 20 years since the Govs and Hoosiers met on a volleyball court. Austin Peay State University traveled to Bloomington in 2003 for the IU Credit Union Invitational where they fell to Indiana in four sets.
Next Up For APSU Volleyball
The Austin Peay State University volleyball team opens its home schedule with the 2023 Stacheville Challenge where they will face Valparaiso in a Friday 6:30pm match before meeting Indiana on Saturday at 2:30pm.
