Otahkians knock off UT-Martin in three sets

Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball team controlled Tennessee-Martin at Houck Field House on Saturday in a battle of two of the Ohio Valley Conference's top squads.

During homecoming festivities in which the team welcomed the families of the Otahkian players, the daughters treated the parents to a three-set sweep of the OVC's top team, 30-19, 30-25, 30-24.

The win kept league titles hopes intact for the Otahkians (12-9 overall, 7-2 OVC) and put Tennessee-Martin (15-4, 9-1) into a less comfortable spot.

"All we have to do now is win and hope somebody knocks off Tennessee-Martin later on," Southeast coach Cindy Gannon said.

With the teams tied at 10 in the first set, Jill Miller served the Otahkians to a 14-10 lead. Miller's ace later made Southeast's lead 22-17; the Otahkians never looked back.

"We are most competitive with UT-Martin," Otahkian senior Bobbi Carlile said, "especially when they step in our gym."

The message became clearer when Southeast carried the momentum into the second set, taking an early 10-5 lead. With the score 16-8, Southeast returned with a Sarah Frost kill that set the pace until late in the match. The Skyhawks cut the lead to four before Southeast recovered to win the set.

During intermission, "I looked at them and said, 'Do you want this and if you do, how bad?'" Gannon said. "They said that they wanted it and I told them all we had to do was go out and keep controlling the match like we have been the first two sets."

Looking for a three-set sweep, the Otahkians clung to a lead throughout the third set. UT-Martin staged its second exciting comeback before Southeast fought off the challenge to take the set 30-24.

"During crucial points in the game, we all looked at each other and we knew that we were confident in each other," Southeast's Emily Scannell said. "When we are confident we just relax and play the way we need to play to get the job done."

Carlile led the Otahkians with 19 kills and Frost added 10. Scannell had 36 assists and nine kills. Suzanne Gundlach had 18 digs. Emily Johnson added 12 digs and nine kills.