Tech beach volleyball team got the Ohio Valley Conference slate started last week against Morehead State

CHATTANOOGA – While the Tennessee Tech beach volleyball team got the Ohio Valley Conference slate started last week against Morehead State, the Golden Eagles will be in the thick of conference competition on Friday and Saturday for the first of two OVC Play Day events this weekend in Chattanooga.

The Golden Eagles will take on the Mocs at 9 AM CT on Friday, before facing Lindenwood at 5 PM CT. Saturday will see Tech face Eastern Illinois at 11 AM CT, followed by UT Martin at 5 PM CT.

The second OVC Play Day event will be at Morehead State on April 17 and 18 as the Golden Eagles will also face Chattanooga, Lindenwood, UT Martin and Eastern Illinois at the two-day meet, just before the OVC Championships in Martin.

Tech fought hard in the conference opener against Morehead State as MK Roberts and Vivian RoBards were able to swipe a point away from the visiting Eagles in the No. 1-spot, while four of the 10 matchups were decided in three sets.

Chattanooga, the preseason No. 1-pick in the OVC after winning the 2025 regular-season and tournament championships, enter the weekend with a 6-3 record and a 1-0 mark in league play. The Mocs edged out UT Martin last Wednesday for a 3-2 road victory with the two teams squaring off again on April 10 as part of the Scenic City Showdown.

Taylor Clark and Ashli McKenny lead the Mocs with an 8-1 record overall as they pair in the No. 4-spot, while five Chattanooga spikers – McKenna Faychak, Ansley Gulledge, Sydney Jackwin, Maddie Lacik and Corina Vale -- are sitting at 6-3 on the season. Faychak and Lecik have seen all action at No. 1, while Gulledge and Jackwin have been paired at No. 3.

Lindenwood enters the weekend with a 10-4 mark and a 1-0 conference record with a 5-0 victory over Eastern Illinois last week. The Lions will get a return match at Eastern Illinois next Friday, while they also topped the Panthers 5-0 at the Missouri State tournament to open the campaign.

Overall, Susanna Beretti has a team-best 10-1 mark, going 7-0 at the No. 2-spot, while Gabby Belcher, Annalie McWhorter and Aubrey Sheppard are all 9-2 on the season. The pairing of Nyah Wilson and Beretti is 8-1 on the season and have won their last seven matches. Abby Jacobs and McWhorter are 8-2 overall, going 6-1 at the No. 1-spot.

UT Martin goes to Chattanooga with a 6-3 record with the lone league loss to Chattanooga on its docket. The Skyhawks bounced back from the defeat at the Central Arkansas Spring Break Invitational, going 3-1 at the even with wins over Texas A&M-Kingsville, the host Bears and Mary Hardin-Baylor – all by 4-1 scores.

The duo of Riley Rushing and Dylan Sulcer are 8-1 on the season at the No. 1-post, while Kayla Bryant and Reagan McGee are 7-2 at No. 2, and the duos of Luli Arcucci and Lauren Mariscal as well as Andie Kryak and Amara Traiger are both at 5-4. Kristin Phillips and MC Rehm are 5-3 at No. 5.

Eastern Illinois enters the OVC meet with a 1-4 record overall, competing only in the Missouri State tournament with a victory over McKendree and the conference loss to Lindenwood.

The Panthers' lone victory of the season is where EIU has collected all of its individual wins on the year with Laura Paniagua and Giorgia Cappelletti, Lilli Amettis and Slyvia Hasz, Tori Mohesky and Emma Schroeder, Alanys Nieves and Anaya Rawlinson, and Katie Kopshever and Jorah Rutter all picking up wins over McKendree.

Tech comes to the event with a 2-13 record overall and an 0-2 mark in OVC play after last week's losses to Morehead State.

Individually, RoBards and Roberts have picked up the most wins with four each, while Maggie Kamp and Zoe Mish each have three in non-exhibition competition.

Following the OVC weekend, Tech will travel to Clarksville for the next two weekends as the Golden Eagles compete in the APSU Classic on April 3-4, then the APSU Invitational on April 10-11, before the second OVC weekend on April 17-18 and the OVC Championships in Martin on April 23-25.