Rally past Belmont earns weekend split

UT Martin trailed 2-0 in sets against Ohio Valley Conference rival Belmont, but the Skyhawks stormed back to take the next three sets to claim a 3-2 victory (19-25, 22-25, 29-27, 25-19, 16-14) in volleyball action Saturday afternoon at Skyhawk Fieldhouse.
The hard-fought win followed a 1-3 loss (32-30, 22-25, 25-18, 25-23) to Tennessee State the day before
Emily Keaton hit .320 with a career-best 21 kills, while also scooping up 14 digs for her sixth double-double of the season in Saturday’s win. Shelby Hoskins posted career-high totals in kills (18) and blocks (nine) while hitting .433, while Amanda Crask reached career-highs of 51 assists and 14 digs for UT Martin (8-14, 4-4 OVC).
The Skyhawks also received a lift from Allie Whimpey (season-best eight kills and four blocks) and Taylor Simons (career-best 13 digs on her 19th birthday).
Kasey Elswick compiled a match-high 31 digs for UT Martin, which limited Belmont to a .102 attack percentage over the final three sets today.
Hoskins had four kills on six swings in the first set to lead the Skyhawks, while Keaton tallied eight kills in the second set alone.
Crask handed out 11 assists and Elswick registered six digs to pace UT Martin defensively in set two.
Keaton, Crask and Simons each had four kills in the third set as the Skyhawks hit .268 with 19 kills.
Hoskins was a perfect 7-for-7 in kills in the fourth set, and Crask totaled 13 assists to lead a UT Martin offense that hit .311. Elswick amassed 11 of the Skyhawks’ 32 digs in the set.
Keaton had three of UT Martin’s nine kills in the abbreviated fifth set, while Elswick led the way with six digs.
UTM hit .248 as a team against Tennessee State, but the Skyhawks couldn’t make enough plays in the loss at Skyhawk Fieldhouse.
Crask hit .476 with a career-high 12 kills to go along with 37 assists tonight to lead UT Martin offensively.
Keaton also added 12 kills while Lynsey Hazelwood (nine kills), Hoskins (eight) and Jackie Harter (eight) also powered the Skyhawks (7-14, 3-4 OVC).
Defensively, Elswick racked up 18 digs while Chelsea Bowles scooped up 14 digs for UT Martin.
Harter and Hoskins tallied four blocks apiece to lead the Skyhawks at the net.
The Skyhawks head back on the road this weekend, traveling to Eastern Kentucky on Friday and Morehead State on Saturday.
UTM is third in the OVC West behind SEMO and Austin Peay. Published in The WCP 10.16.12

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