Elizabethton, TN—The Lady Eagles volleyball team improved to 2-2 on the young season after splitting two matches earlier today at the Milligan College Tri-Match in Elizabethton, TN.

Baylee Jensen and Hannah Harmon tied for the team lead in kills for the day with 17 apiece, while junior Hannah Grooms recorded 24 assists to lead the Lady Eagles. Freshman Brooke McLeod, playing in just her 3rd and 4th games as a Lady Eagle, completed a team-high 19 digs between the two contests.

Pensacola 3, Fisk 0

The Lady Eagles started their day with a 3-0 sweep (25-22, 25-21, 25-17) over NAIA opponent Fisk University. In the first set, the two teams would trade points with the score remaining close, but it was the Lady Eagles who would pull away late to secure a crucial first set victory.  

The second set again saw the teams trade points throughout. With the scored tied at 20, a critical serving error by Fisk University player Jayla Johnson would give the Lady Eagles the opportunity they had been searching for. The team would close the 2nd set by winning 5 of the last 6 rallies to earn a commanding 2-0 set lead.

In the final set, the Lady Eagles would fall behind early, trailing 11-7 after 18 rallies, but the team was determined to record their second victory in the young season. Strong play by junior Jasmine Baldonado would spark the Lady Eagles and ultimately proved to be the difference in the third set, which the team went on to win 25-17.

In the match, the Lady Eagles recorded a hitting percentage of .222 compared to just .068 for Fisk University. The team recorded 35 kills in the match.

Pensacola 0, Milligan 3

Later in the day, the Lady Eagles faced another difficult early season test against a very talented NAIA opponent in Milligan College. Despite the momentum they gained after winning their first game of the day, the Lady Eagles were unable to earn a second victory on the day, falling in straight sets (20-25, 17-25, 14-25) to the host Milligan College.

The two teams battled in the first set, with the Lady Eagles leading 39 rallies into the matchup. Despite leading late in the set, the Buffs were able to go on a late 5-0 run to gain an early 1-0 advantage in the contest.

The Lady Eagles flew out of the gate in the early moments of the second set behind the play of senior middle hitter Hannah Harmon. The team led 13-10 at the midway point of the 2nd set. A back and forth battle would again ensue, but it was the Buffs who again pulled away late to secure a 2-0 set advantage.

Despite the quick starts in the first two sets, the Lady Eagles were unable to control the game in the 3rd set. Milligan College jumped out to a 12-3 advantage after 15 rallies. A series of kills by Baylee Jensen, Hannah Harmon, and Natasha Dickerman helped the Lady Eagles slowly claw back to within striking distance, but the early 12-3 advantage would prove to be insurmountable for the Lady Eagles. The team would go on to drop the 3rd set 25-14 on their way to a disappointing 3-0 sweep at the hands of the Buffs.

After the day's matches, Head Coach Calyn Ohman was asked about her team's performance. She responded, "I thought we played well against Fisk [University], but ultimately we made too many mental errors in the game against Milligan College. This team has a ton of potential, but we will need to continue to make minor adjustments in order to reach our fullest potential."

On the day, the Lady Eagles recorded 62 kills, for a hitting percentage of .126. Hannah Grooms and Hannah Adkins combined for 54 assists in the two contests. Hannah Grooms and Anna Grace Carrick added a combined 6 aces, while Brooke McLeod and Jasmine Baldonado led the team on the defensive side of the ball with a combined 34 digs.

With the results of today's contests, the Lady Eagles moved to 2-2 on the season. They will return to action on Saturday, August 25 with a match against NCCAA opponent Welch College at 6:00 PM CT in Nashville, TN. 

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