The All State

By DAVID SCHERER | Staff Writer

Last week was one full of ups and downs for the Lady Govs volleyball team.

They started the week with a 3-2 loss on Tuesday, Oct. 5, to Eastern Kentucky University (25-21, 23-25, 25-22, 21-25, 6-15).

The loss ended the Lady Govs’ six-match win streak versus the Lady Colonels, a streak that dated back to the 2006 season.

With the loss, the Lady Govs also fell back into third place in the OVC, a half game behind Jacksonville State and two games behind league leader Morehead State. Throughout the match, the Lady Govs could never gain any type of offensive momentum, a pattern becoming a little too common this season.

In the first match, they were only able to record seven kills, but were helped out by the Lady Colonels’ 13 errors and were able to achieve the 25-21 victory.

In the second set, it was the opposite with the Lady Govs able to score 14 kills, however a lack of focus at the end allowed the Lady Colonels to capitalize on three straight errors and win the set 25-23.

In the third set the Lady Govs only needed 11 kills to achieve the 25-22 win and were boosted by three service aces and three blocks highlighted by senior Taylor Skinner and junior Ilyanna Hernandez.

Trailing 2-1, the Lady Colonels found their offense in the final two sets and were able to capture the match. Sophmore Nikki Doyle led the Lady Govs with 16 kills but also recorded nine attack errors and finished with a dismal .143 attack percentage. Hernandez and junior Kayla Grantham also contributed 11 and 9 kills respectively.

On Friday, Oct. 8, the Lady Govs were able to get back on track and capitalized on the offensive inefficiency of Tennessee State and pulled off a come-from-behind victory 3-2 (23-25, 22-25, 25-14, 25-21, 15-7).

For just the second time this season, the Lady Govs lost their first two sets of a match. They committed 9 attack errors in the first set and 6 in the second frame. In the third set, they were finally able to maintain the type of offensive efficiency that we have come to expect.

Doyle had a quiet night but made it count in the final set. She notched three kills in the middle of a 7-0 run in the final set that eventually turned a 4-3 deficit into a 15-7 win.

According to APSU Sports Information, coach Haley Janicek believed the key to victory Hernandez’ play.

“Ilyanna really pulled the team together tonight. We needed her and she played with a lot of heart.”

The Lady Govs hit the court again this Friday, Oct. 15, at 6 p.m. in a hotly contested match with Morehead State in the Dunn. TAS

By DAVID SCHERER | Staff Writer

With two dominating performances this past weekend, the Lady Govs volleyball team got back on track and started back down the path towards OVC glory. Both matches consisted of three-set sweeps, capped by an absolutely dominating final set victory 25-10.

In the first match of the weekend, APSU downed Southeast Missouri fairly easily (25-13, 25-16, 25-18). It marked the third time this season the Lady Govs notched 50 kills, and only committed seven errors to finish with a season best .364 attack percentage.

In the first set, the Lady Govs was able to jump out to a 19-8 lead and never looked back. Sophmore Nikki Doyle led the Lady Govs with eight kills and maintained her blistering pace this season.

SEMO pushed back in the second set and showed they were not just going to go away quietly leading 13-11 at the midway point of the set, but the Lady Govs utilized an 8-0 run to take a 19-13 lead. Junior Ilyanna Hernandez and senior Jessica Mollman pushed the team with a pair of service aces and a pair of kills respectively.

According to APSU Sports Information, Lady Govs head coach Haley Janicek believed composure was key to the victory.

“We really did a good job maintaining our composure throughout the match tonight. In previous matches we have fallen back a little when we had a lead. We didn’t retreat much tonight —we were able to stay in our system and stick with our fundamentals so it was a more consistent match overall.”

The Lady Govs led throughout the third set, using a pair of six point runs to complete the sweep. Doyle led the team with a match-best 16 kills and committed no errors for a .410 attack percentage.

Janicek told APSU Sports Information she believes Doyle has really stepped up this year.

“Nikki is doing some really good things. This really is her first year playing significant time at the collegiate level. She’s come in and she’s really doing a good job.”

The second match of the weekend versus Eastern Illinois had a much different atmosphere.

The Lady Govs got off to a very slow start in the first two sets and had to claw their way back into the thick of things.

EIU got out to a 6-3 lead but APSU used a 7-2 run to regain the advantage, one that they would not be able to keep. Both teams traded the lead until the Lady Govs used kills by Mollman and Doyle to capture the 26-24 set win.

The second set was more of the same, with the Lady Govs coming from behind again but able to recapture the lead and win 25-20. The third set was prototypical APSU volleyball with the Lady Govs cruising from the beginning and finishing with the 25-10 victory. According to APSU sports Information Janicek believed their composure was key to the victory in the first two sets of the match.

“I believe what happened in the first two sets is we were playing behind. I have to give credit to our team they really were able to hold their composure.”

“It’s not very often teams can come back from that especially when you’re playing a tough, scrappy team,” Janicek said.

The Lady Govs return to action this Friday, Oct. 8 with a 7 p.m. OVC match against Tennessee State. TAS

By DAVID SCHERER | Staff Writer

For every athlete, injuries are just a part of the game. Most would just give up or not put as much into our effort to try and not aggravate the injury. One APSU athlete is doing just the opposite.

Sophomore Nikki Doyle leads the Lady Govs volleyball team this year with 226 kills, quite an achievement when you take into account Doyle lost last year to a medical redshirt, something she was determined to make up for.

“My main goal this year was to stay injury free because I did redshirt last year. I wanted to become a more vocal member of the squad on the court because I have a hard time with that,” Doyle said.

It took a lot of fortitude to put up with the constant rehab and to journey down the road of recovery. This past summer she made sure to put in the extra hours practicing to try and help the team make up for the loss of OVC Player of the Year, Stephanie Champine.

“After Champ graduated my coach from last year told me that I need to take it upon myself to live up to her, and I’m trying but it’s tough because she was a really tough competitor.”

That being said, we are all witnesses to the growth she has made this season. One of the most noticeable aspects is her relationship with her teammates and coaches.

“We had a coaching change this year, but it really hasn’t been that tough because Haley was our assistant last year,” Doyle said.

“All of us are able to relate to Haley and the rest of the coaching staff because they’re really close to our age, it makes it a lot easier.”

“Our team is really close on and off the court. We hang out both at school and outside of school, so that has definitely helped us build up that chemistry that we’re showing”

If she is able to keep up this blistering pace, Doyle could very well eclipse Champs season and career records, something Doyle would be very honored by.

“I have very high expectations, for myself and the team as well. If I was able to break any type of record it would be great. There have been some great players here at APSU, and I would be honored to be in their company.”

Doyle plans to become a physical therapist, and she believes she has learned some great lessons at APSU that will undoubtedly translate to the real world.

“I have learned a whole lot from the team. They have really helped me to come out of my shell this year and become a more vocal person, because I am really timid. I know that it will definitely help me achieve my goals.” TAS

By MARLON SCOTT | Senior Staff Writer

After winning 2-of-3 matches at home including their first two Ohio Valley Conference matches of the season, the Lady Govs volleyball team went on the road to play two more OVC opponents.

The Lady Govs split the two conference matches. First, they defeated Tennessee Tech (25-13, 25-19, 27-25) in Cookeville, Friday, Sept. 24. Next, they were defeated by Jacksonville State (20-25, 25-19, 25-21, 17-25, 13-15) in Jacksonville, Ala., Saturday, Sept. 25.

According to APSU Sports Information, Lady Govs head coach Haley Janicek said defense was the key to the win against Tennessee Tech.

“We served (Tennessee Tech) really aggressively. We were able to get them out of their system offensively,” Janicek said. “It kept their hitters from getting good looks. Also, our defense really did the job. It was by far one of our best nights blocking and playing defense.”

The Lady Govs produced 50 digs and six blocks against Tennessee Tech. The Golden Eagles produced only 29 kills and were held to a .084 attack percentage. Lady Gov senior Sarah Alisaleh and junior Paige Economos both produced 13 digs.

Offensively, junior Nikki Doyle led the team with 14 kills. The Lady Govs had no problem winning the first two sets. However, Tennessee Tech put up a fight in the third set. The two teams tied 10 times.

The last tie was 25-25 on a kill by Tennessee Tech’s Leah Meffert. Afterwards, Lady Gov junior Ilyanna Hernandez put the set and match away with two straight kills assisted by Alisaleh.

With three OVC wins, the Lady Govs went to Jacksonville State looking to make it 4-0. Instead, the Gamecocks gave the Lady Govs their first conference loss.

Janicek told APSU Sports Information her team lost because of inconsistency.

“I believed we played inconsistently today. We missed a lot of serves and didn’t pressure their passing the way we did (at Tennessee Tech) last night,” Janicek said.

It took five sets to determine a winner between the two teams. The Gamecocks took set one with a 6-1 run in the end. The Lady Govs responded with a strong second set, winning 25-19.

With momentum, the Lady Govs took a 10-5 lead in the third set. They held on to take that set 25-21.

The Lady Govs led 7-6 in the fourth set before the Gamecocks took over with a 13-2 run. The run proved too much for the Lady Govs to overcome and the Gamecocks won, forcing a fifth set.

The Lady Govs fell behind 2-0 in the final set and were unable to tie or take a lead the rest of the set. The Lady Govs last kill was courtesy of senior Taylor skinner. It was followed by a Gamecock attack error that brought the Lady Govs within one point of the Gamecocks, 14-13.

However, the Lady Govs could not finish the rally.

“Offensively, we played our type of volleyball in the second and third sets, but we didn’t show up in the fourth. We almost had the fifth set tied 14-14, but couldn’t get the point we needed” Janicek said.

Senior Jessica Mollman and Doyle both produced 15 kills against the Gamecocks. Hernandez added 11. Skinner had five bocks and Economos hit the floor for 24 digs.

With a 3-1 OVC record (12-3 overall), the Lady Govs are currently ranked fourth in the OVC.
Next, the Lady Govs return home to the Dunn Center to play Southeast Missouri Friday, Oct. 1. TAS

By DAVID SCHERER | Staff Writer

With another pair of wins in the books, the Lady Govs volleyball team continued their remarkable run this season, increasing their winning record to 11-1 and opening their conference season with a 2-0 mark in the OVC.

The first game of the weekend against Murray State was more of the same for the Lady Govs, who won the match 3-1 with scores of 27-25, 25-13, 23-25 and 25-22. The first conference win of the season consisted of 67 kills, 2 shy of their season high. The match also had sophomore Nikki Doyle’s score a career high 23 kills.

In the first set the Lady Govs opened with a 7-3 scoring run highlighted by three kills from Doyle and two from senior Jessica Mollman.

The Racers followed with a 10-6 run and later used a 9-3 run to gain a 22-18 advantage, but the Lady Govs fought back. Junior Ilyanna Hernandez converted consecutive kills in the middle of a 9-3 run to help complete the 27-25 win.

The second set was highlighted by the Lady Govs leading from start to finish, posting a 25-13 win and taking a 2-0 set lead.

After a dominating performance to start the match, the Lady Govs had a mental lapse and allowed the Racers to capture the third set 25-23.

In the fourth set however, the Lady Govs made sure that would not happen again. They utilized an 8-2 run in the middle of the set to seal the 25-22 match victory.

According to APSU Sports Information, “We were really excited to play in the Dunn Center for the first time,” said Lady Govs head coach Haley Janicek. “It was a little odd playing in front of that big a crowd because it’s not something we’ve experienced this season.”

“I told the team I was impressed with their composure. With the veteran group we had out there most of the match we showed that maturity.”

“There were times we didn’t play like ourselves but we played Austin Peay volleyball more often tonight.”

With their first OVC victory in the books, the Lady Govs came back on Saturday, Sept. 18, and took care of business once again sealing a three set sweep of UT Martin with set victories of 25-21, 25-20, and 25-10. After starting slowly, the Lady Govs made short work of UT Martin.
The Lady Govs continue their OVC play this Tuesday, Sept. 21, against Lipscomb at 7 p.m here at APSU. TAS

By DAVID SCHERER | Staff Writer

Extending their winning ways, the Lady Govs volleyball team swept the competition this weekend to capture the Buccaneer Classic at ETSU.

The first match of the tournament proved to have all the fight the Lady Govs could have wanted.  They were able to win the match 3-1, but in each set were only able to scrape by with wins of 25-20, 25-23, and 25-21.

Led by Senior Jessica Mollman’s 15 kills and 2 errors, the Lady Govs were able to scrape together the victory.

According to APSU Sports Information, head coach Haley Janicek said, “Jessica did some really good things for us today.  We played good defense and served aggressively, but had a few too many service errors tonight that kept [East Tennessee] in the match.”

The Lady Govs (9-1) had a tough time recording their eighth victory over UNC Asheville.

They were forced into 28 ties and 14 lead changes. However, they were able to use late-set runs to seal the victory in each set.

In the opening set the Lady Govs got a taste of the future: a back and forth battle which would include 14 ties and six lead changes.

Neither team was able to sustain more than a two-point lead throughout the set.

In fact, the Lady Govs trailed 24-22 before winning the set. A 4-0 run sealed the victory capped by Junior’s Kayla Grantham and Ilyanna Hernandez’s consecutive kills.

Midway through the second set the Lady Govs used a 9-2 run to take a 20-16 lead. They finished it with a pair of kills from Mollman to win the set in the closing moments 25-20.  In the third set, it was more of the same. The Lady Govs won easily, 25-19, after an initial 13-5 run.

To close out the tournament the Lady Govs swept UNC Greensboro 25-21, 25-19 and 25-9.

They improved their win streak to eight games,  continuing their dominating start to the season.

The Lady Govs will return home and begin Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend. Friday, Sept. 17, they will face the Murray State Racers in the Dunn Center. Then,  Saturday, Sept. 18, they will play Tennessee Martin. TAS