CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Outside hitter Christina White posted a 14-kill, 10-dig double-double performance to lead Austin Peay State University’s volleyball team to a three-set (25-16, 25-16, 25-15) Ohio Valley Conference victory against Eastern Illinois, Saturday afternoon at the Dunn Center.
Austin Peay (23-10, 12-4 OVC) got out to a slow start and battled Eastern Illinois through five ties and three lead changes in the match’s opening 16 points. But sophomore Logan Carger’s kill tied the first set, 8-8, and White’s kill on the ensuing rally broke that tie. Those two points not only started a 17-8 run to end the first set, but also provided a lead the Govs would not relinquish the rest of the match.
The Governors rolled to an 18-kill effort in the opening set, posting a .179 attack percentage. Austin Peay improved on that mark in the second set, winning wire-to-wire thanks to a 16-kill effort that saw them post a .302 attack percentage. The third set’s 16 kills and .419 attack percentage were the coup de grâce in another wire-to-wire victory.
Eastern Illinois (5-26, 2-14 OVC) could not solve a Governors defense that had one of its best outings of the season. APSU libero Ginny Gerig had an impressive 27-dig performance that was the second best three-set effort in program history. It paced a defensive effort that finished with 78 digs (26 per set) and held the Panthers to just 23 kills and a.099 attack percentage.
White’s 14 kills led Austin Peay’s 52-kill outing. Middle Blocker Logan Carger added 11 kills at a .333 attack percentage. Setter Kristen Stucker had a 35-assist, 10-dig outing that included five kills.
Austin Peay now prepares for the OVC Volleyball Championship which will be held next weekend at the regular-season champion – either Murray State or SIUE. The Governors will enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed, but will not know their opponent until the conclusion of Saturday’s action.