CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The Arkansas Tech volleyball team enjoyed a great final day at the 2024 Lee Invitational as they won both of their matches, sweeping Georgia College, 3-0, and upending host Lee, 3-2.
GEORGIA COLLEGE
After close play early in the first set, the Golden Suns took complete control with an 8-0 run, giving them an 11-4 lead over Georgia College. The closest the Bobcats would get of the Golden Suns' lead the remainder of the set was five points. At one point, the Golden Suns led by as much as nine points, 19-10, before closing out the set, 25-18.
Set two played out similarly with the Golden Suns taking the advantage early with a run. This one was a four-point sprint that put Tech up 10-5. The Bobcats would push to pull within two points of the Tech lead, 11-9, but not long afterwards, the Golden Suns opened up a seven-point lead, 18-11. The Golden Suns then emphatically ended the set on a 6-0 run, winning 25-14.
In that second set, the Golden Suns were nearly perfect offensively as they hammered home 19 kills and committed just three attack errors on 27 total attacks, giving them a mind-boggling attack percentage of 59.3%.
In position for their first sweep victory of the season, the Golden Suns again used a significant run relatively early in the set to take control. This one was a 6-0 run that pushed a one-point Tech lead into a 12-5 advantage. Later in the set, the Golden Suns had a 5-0 run that gave them an 18-10 lead.
Georgia College would battle back in the set and made things interesting, but the Golden Suns were able to close out the set and match, 25-22.
Statistically, the Golden Suns were led by
Henley Hooks as she had 15 kills and just two errors on 24 attacks.
Savannah Meyer also reached doubled-digit kills with 10.
Emma Kiser paced the offense with 26 assists. Defensively,
Sierra Orton and
Kaitlyn Neal recorded four blocks.
Jamie Myrick led the team in digs with 11.
LEE
The second match of the day for the Golden Suns was the first for their opponents, host Lee, and it turned out to be a thrilling back-and-forth match that ultimately ended in favor of the Golden Suns, 3-2.
The opening set was won by Lee, 25-17 and featured a strong close to the set by the Flames. Set two went the way of the Golden Suns as they flipped a two-point deficit into a three-point lead at the 8-5 mark. The Golden Suns would build that lead out as large as seven points and maintained a comfortable advantage the rest of the set, winning 25-21.
Set three was close early and then featured alternating runs that swung the momentum both ways. The last of those runs was a 5-0 run by Lee that flipped a two-point deficit into a three-point lead, 21-18. The Golden Suns were able to break that run and pulled within a point at 21-20, but Lee was able to win four of the next five points to take set three and go up 2-1 in the match.
The all-important fourth set appeared to going the way of the Flames about midway through as they held a four-point lead, 17-13, but the Golden Suns then went on a set-changing 8-0 run to suddenly give them a three-point lead, 21-17. That major run by the Golden Suns was sparked by a Lee service error and featured four kills from
Henley Hooks, who ended with a career-high 24 kills.
Jordan Clouse also had a kill and two blocks (one solo, one assisted) during the stretch.
After Lee pulled within two points, the Golden Suns were at set-point, 24-19. Lee had one more run in them that prolonged the set as they scored four-straight, but an attack error ended the set, 25-23 in favor of Tech, forcing the decisive fifth set.
In the fifth set, the Golden Suns took control as they broke a six-all tie with four-straight points. After Lee broke the run with a point, the momentum gained by the Golden Suns did not falter one bit as the they proceeded to close out the fifth set by winning the final five points, and thus giving the Golden Suns the win, 3-2.
UP NEXT
The Golden Suns will now prepare to make their home debut this coming Tuesday night as they also open up GAC play against Henderson State. First-serve for the match is scheduled for 6 p.m. from inside Tucker Coliseum.
