Murfreesboro, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) volleyball team dropped a 3-1 (25-22, 25-8, 25-23, 25-22) decision to Southeast Missouri State in its first match of the Blue Raider Bash, Friday, at the Alumni Memorial Gymnasium.
Sarah Carnathan led the Governors with 12 kills, and Maggie Duyos led with 15 assists. Tayler Baron paced the APSU Govs with 18 digs, while Payton Deidesheimer and Anna Rita led with a .176 attack percentage.
Austin Peay (1-3) and Southeast Missouri (1-3) started the first set back-and-forth, seeing 10 ties and five lead changes. The Governors were down 7-5 until they went on a 4-0 run, giving them the 9-7 lead. The Redhawks responded with a 6-4 run, giving them a 15-13 lead.
The Governors saw a 6-3 run, including kills by Deidesheimer, Dani Kopacz, and Rita, giving Austin Peay State University a 19-18 lead going into a timeout. The Redhawks tied the game 19-19 with a kill by Lucy Arndt out of the timeout, and proceeded to end the set on a 6-3 run to take the set, 25-22.
SEMO had a quick start in the second set and went up 9-4 on the Govs, forcing an APSU timeout. The Redhawks only allowed eight Governor points, taking the second set, 25-8.
Southeast Missouri got off to another quick start, going up 9-3 on the Governors, forcing a Govs timeout. Austin Peay came out of the timeout on a 11-8 run to get back within three of their opponent at 18-15, forcing a SEMO timeout. A kill by Carnathan followed by a block by Rita and Deidesheimer tied the game at 22.
SEMO took their lead back with a kill by Marin Johnson, but a kill by Deidesheimer by a Kayleigh Ryan assist tied the set once again at 23-23. A service ace by Rita and a kill by Carnathan from a Ryan assist allowed the APSU Govs to take the set, 25-23, to extend the match.
The Governors used their momentum from the third set to take the early lead at 8-2 to start the fourth set. The Redhawks battled back from their early deficit, going on a 10-7 run to trail by three at 15-12 heading into the media timeout. The Governors extended their lead to 19-13 with a block by Lucci Lippelgoos and Deidesheimer, forcing a SEMO timeout.
After the timeout, the Redhawks went on a 5-1 run to get back within one of their opponent at 20-19. SEMO tied the set at 22-22, and ended the match with three consecutive kills to take the final set, 25-22.
Next Up For APSU Volleyball
The Austin Peay State University volleyball team continues the Blue Raider Bash tomorrow with a 11:00am match against Arkansas State and a 6:00pm match against host Middle Tennessee.
