ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech volleyball team collected a split on their final day of the Bettye Wallace Classic as they lost 3-0 to Quincy in their first match and then beat Missouri Southern, 3-1.
QUINCY
The first set against Quincy was featured several runs by both teams in what was an otherwise back-and-forth affair. The first big run was a 6-0 run by the Golden Suns that knotted the set at 10-all. The second was also a Tech run, this one a 5-0 run that gave Tech a 16-13 lead. Quincy would rally back and scored five of the next six points to reclaim the lead, 18-17.
The Golden Suns were able to tie the score at 18-all, but after Quincy broke the tie, the Hawks would keep hold of that lead the remainder of the set, winning 25-23.
Set two was controlled throughout by Quincy as the Hawks turned in a highly-efficient attack with 14 kills against just three errors. The Golden Suns committed just three attack errors themselves in the set, but had just 10 kills.
The Golden Suns jumped out to an early lead in the third set, but a 6-0 run by Quincy flipped a two-point deficit into a four-point lead, 10-6. Tech was able to rally for four-straight of their own to tie is at 10-all, but scored consecutive points to break the tie and regain the lead.
The Hawks would go on to complete the three-set sweep with a 25-19 win in set three.
Seven different Golden Suns had multiple kills in the match with
Millie Allgood and
Henley Hooks leading the way with six each.
Kenzie Garrett led the team in assists with 12 followed by eight from
Aspen Jankowski.
Samantha Wojtowicz paced the defense with 14 digs.
MISSOURI SOUTHERN
Against Missouri Southern, the Golden Suns dropped the first set 25-21 despite having two more kills than the Lions. Early action in that set was controlled by the Golden Suns, but a 7-1 run by Missouri Southern erased a six-point lead for Tech and tied the set at 15-all.
The Golden Suns were able to stay in the lead through the next handful of points and were the first to 20, doing so with a one-point lead. Missouri Southern would rip off five-straight points to suddenly have set-point. Tech was able to stave off the first set-point rally, but the Lions eventually closed out the set.
Set two saw the Golden Suns make the big runs to put themselves in the lead. The first was a 5-0 push that turned a three-point deficit into a two-point lead for the Golden Suns. Missouri Southern then tied the set at 10-all, but a 3-0 spurt by Tech gave the Golden Suns a lead they would not relinquish.
The Lions got within point of the Tech lead, but the Golden Suns kept them at bay to even the match at a set apiece.
The Golden Suns would control most of the third set and cruised to a 25-16 win to go up two sets to one. In that set, the Golden Suns had 13 kills and committed just three errors. Conversely, the Lions had 10 kills, but committed 10 errors.
Missouri Southern improved their offensive attack in the fourth set and they had the early advantage. However, trailing by three points, 10-7, the Golden Suns would score 10 of the next 13 points to take a 17-13 lead. The Lions would make a push and got within a point on two occasions, but the Golden Suns were able to hold them off and finish the set, 25-21, and secure the win, 3-1.
UP NEXT
The Golden Suns will now turn their focus exclusively to the remainder of their Great American Conference Schedule starting first with a road match on Tuesday, September 23 at Southern Arkansas. That match is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
