ST. LOUIS (9/4/21) – Defense ruled the day for the Arkansas State volleyball team, as it stifled Murray State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff en route to completing a perfect 3-0 weekend at the Billiken Invitational.
A-State (4-2) held both teams to sub-.150 attack percentages, including limiting UAPB (0-6) to a sub-.100 mark. The Red Wolves held all three opponents to attack percentages of .108 or lower on the weekend.
Macey Putt earned tournament MVP honors, while Josie Stanford and Tatum Ticknor joined her on the All-Tournament Team.
MATCH 1 | ARKANSAS STATE 3, MURRAY STATE 1 (18-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-15)
In the first half of the twinbill, Arkansas State bounced back from an early 1-0 deficit and clamped down defensively to post a four-set victory over Murray State to improve to 2-0 on the weekend.
The Red Wolves (3-2) held the Racers (3-2) to an attack percentage of .047 in the final three sets – including a -.059 mark in the fourth after allowing MSU to hit .286 in the opening frame.
Putt posted her fifth straight double-double and fourth 20-kill performance in five matches with 22 kills and 11 digs on the day. A-State's setters joined the Ozark, Mo., native in double-double territory, as Lauren Musante handed out 27 assists with 16 digs and Julianna Cramer added 13 assists and 11 digs.
The Racers surged out of the gates to an early lead in the match, taking the opening set 25-18. A-State would not go away so quickly, though, battling back from a five-point deficit midway through the second set to even up the match at 1-all with a hard-won 25-23 decision.
A-State took an early lead in the third set and would not look back, holding off a comeback attempt by the Racers to take a 2-1 lead in the match, claiming the set 25-22. Murray State would open with an early lead in the fourth, but then the Red Wolves took control en route to a 25-15 fourth-set victory to take the match.
MATCH 2 | ARKANSAS STATE 3, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 0 (25-22, 25-9, 25-17)
Arkansas State closed out the perfect weekend in sweeping fashion, defeating in-state foe Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3-0 (25-22, 25-9, 25-17). The win over UAPB (0-6) marked A-State's 25th straight in the series.
Elizabeth Phillips made the most of her debut, tallying nine kills, five digs, two aces and a pair of blocks in the start. Macey Putt tied Phillips for the team lead with nine kills and 11 digs, while firing four aces. The Red Wolves served a season-high 10 aces, the most since doing so versus Troy on Nov. 22, 2019.
Kassidy Reeves registered her best performance in her young career, notching a double-double with 21 assists and 16 digs. She tied Tatum Ticknor for the team lead in digs, while Ticknor added three aces on the day.
The Lady Lions kept it close early in the first set, but A-State surged ahead to a commanding 20-9 lead. UAPB clawed back to trim the deficit to 24-22 before a kill by Elise Wilcox ended the set and gave the Red Wolves a 1-0 lead.
A-State used a 15-0 run in the second set to cruise past UAPB for a 2-0 lead in the match, winning the set handily 25-9. The Red Wolves rode that momentum into the third set, taking a 25-17 decision to seal the match and the sweep.
NEXT UP
A-State continues its road swing in the Show-Me State, traveling to the boot heel for the SEMO Invitational in Cape Girardeau, Mo. There, the Red Wolves will face Kansas City, Marshall and host Southeast Missouri.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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