MEMPHIS, Tenn. (9/17/21) – On Friday in the first day of the Tiger Brawl, the Arkansas State volleyball team extended its winning streak to four matches with wins over UT Martin and Memphis at the Larry O. Finch Center.
A-State (8-3) ousted the Skyhawks (1-9) 3-1 before sweeping the host Tigers (7-4) to conclude the day. With the win, the Red Wolves have won seven of their last eight matches.
MATCH 1 | A-STATE 3, UT MARTIN 1 (25-17, 25-27, 26-24, 25-23)
Macey Putt led the way with 20 kills and a blistering .354 attack percentage as Arkansas State held off UT Martin for a 3-1 victory Friday morning to open play at the Tiger Brawl. A-State defeated the Skyhawks for the second time this season and extended its streak in the series to seven straight victories.
The Scarlet and Black now lead the all-time series with UT Martin 27-11.
After A-State took a 1-0 lead in the match with a 25-17 opening-set victory, the Skyhawks tied it up with a tightly-contested set that went into extra points, winning 27-25.
The Red Wolves weathered another extended set en route to a 2-1 lead, winning the third set 26-24 before taking the match with a close 25-23 victory in the fourth set.
Putt added 9 digs, 3 blocks and a pair of aces to her credit on the day, while Josie Stanford tallied 12 kills with a .323 attack percentage. Lauren Musante posted a double-double with 27 assists and 12 digs, as did Julianna Cramer (13 assists, 10 digs). Tatum Ticknor led A-State with 26 digs.
MATCH 2 | A-STATE 3, MEMPHIS 0 (26-24, 25-20, 25-19)
Arkansas State closed the first day of the Tiger Brawl in dominating fashion, becoming the first team to sweep Memphis, a team that has taken all seven of its wins in straight sets.
Macey Putt once again led the Red Wolves offensively, powering 15 kills with 8 digs and 3 blocks. Kendahl Davenport and Josie Stanford were forces at the net, recording 8 and 7 blocks, respectively. Lauren Musante (16 assists, 10 digs) and Julianna Cramer (17 assists, 15 digs) posted double-doubles for the second time on the day. Tatum Ticknor led A-State on the back row with 18 digs.
A-State took an early 12-4 lead in the opening set before the Tigers clawed back to take a lead late in the set, holding set point up 24-22. The Red Wolves did not falter in the face of early adversity, winning four straight points to take the set 26-24 and lead 1-0 in the match.
Similarly, in the second, A-State led early but weathered a late Memphis run to tie it up at 19-all. The Scarlet and Black closed out the frame on a 6-1 run to win 25-20 and take a commanding two-set lead.
The third set saw the Red Wolves ride the wave of momentum to take a lead it would not relinquish, leading by as much as seven, en route to completing the sweep of the Tigers.
The win over Memphis marked the seventh straight in the series, moving A-State to 30-29 all-time series, while also signaling the second consecutive sweep versus the Tigers.
NEXT UP
A-State closes out non-conference play with its Tiger Brawl finale at 9 a.m. Saturday versus in-state foe Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Live stats can be found at memphisstats.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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