MOREHEAD, Ky. – At 3-3 in conference play, and in the midst of the OVC race, the Morehead State volleyball team continues their four-game road swing by going to Tennessee Tech on Friday and Jacksonville State on Saturday. Both the Golden Eagles and the Gamecocks sit at 2-4 in conference, one game back of MSU.
The Eagles enter this weekend winners of two of their last three. Over the course of those three matches, they swept Austin Peay at home and then did the same at UT Martin, prior to falling to SEMO, 3-1. They won a season-high seven straight sets during that span.
“One of the things that we did well against Austin Peay and UT Martin was play a detailed game,” said head coach Jaime Barker. “We talk a lot about taking care of the controllables, making sure that the things that we’re able to dictate on our side of the court, we do effectively and efficiently. In the match against SEMO, we started out that way, but we kind of broke down a little bit. Against a good team on the road, which is exactly what we are going to face this weekend, you can’t give them those opportunities to gain momentum. So the key for us is how we start, but even more so how we maintain. The other piece that will be big for us is our defensive game. We’ve been really good at limiting opponents to a low hitting percentage, but we have some opportunities to grow with our blocking and our back row game, and that’s what we’ve been working on this week in practice.”
Schematically, the Eagles have made some adjustments, as well. Due to many circumstances out of their control, they have shortened their rotation and for the most part are utilizing just seven players, which in turn has provided a level of comfort in players better understanding their roles. They are also running a true 6-2 offense, where they are using two true setters, in freshman Jordan Jones and junior Bailey Nichol, both in attacking and setting situations.
The continued resurgence of junior Courtney Smith has also plaved a vital role in their improved play. After missing the entire season a year ago with a wrist injury, Smith is starting to look like her old self. She has recorded double-digit kills in five of her last seven matches and in the course of those seven matches ranks second on the team to freshman Merideth Jewell with 69 total kills and 70 total digs.
“She (Courtney) has been improving every match,” said Gordon. “One thing that is great about her is that she is a very experienced player, she’s very mature, and she has a lot of composure. One of the things that we’re really seeing week-to-week is that she is just getting stronger and she’s getting more confident in her shoulder. Earlier in the season, she was having to beat the defense by finding spots on the court and now she is back to her old game where she can just beat the defender.”
Now, on the road against two teams that sit below them in the OVC standings, the Eagles look to regain the momentum that they had during their recent seven-set winning streak. Morehead State travels to Tennessee Tech on Friday night at 8 p.m. and then turns around and plays Jacksonville State on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.
“Yeah, it’s big, and this weekend is kind of challenging because of the distance and the short time in between our matches on Friday and Saturday,” said Gordon.
Next weekend, the Eagles return home to face these same two teams at Wetherby Gym.
“It has a little bit more of a baseball feel, where we have a series, which is exciting because we get the opportunity to see what works, and what doesn’t work, and then make adjustments,” he said.
The match versus Tennessee Tech can be seen live on the OVC Ditital Network, and live stats for both matches will be available at MSUEagles.com.
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