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MARTIN, Tenn. – Statistically Eastern Illinois and UT Martin were evenly matched on Monday afternoon but several key plays late in each set lifted UTM to a 3-0 win over EIU in Ohio Valley Conference volleyball action.
 
UTM won the match 25-23, 25-21 and 25-23 to sweep the two-match series over EIU.  The Skyhawks improved to 3-1 on the season while the Panthers fell to 0-6.
 
Ireland Hieb and Ella Collins each had four kills to pace the Panthers attack in the opening set.  Trailing 16-11 midway through the first, EIU scored six straight points with five coming off the serve of Kylie Michael.  Collins had three kills and Michael dropped in two aces to give EIU a 17-16 lead.   With the set tied at 22-22, UTM took advantage of an attack error by EIU for a one point lead.  The Skyhawks would then collect two of the next three points for the win.  Karen Scanlon and Olivia Lucia had kills for UTM.  Michael sandwiched a kill in between the two Skyhawks points for EIU.
 
Logan Wallick was big on the attack for UTM in the second set picking up five of her 14 kills in the set.  Wallick had three kills that opened a 13-13 tie into a 20-14 lead for the Skyhawks.  UTM extended the lead to 24-18 before the Panthers put together a late rally.  Danielle Allen had back-to-back kills followed by an attack by Elisavet Papageoriou to bring EIU to within three.  Jessica Reynolds closed out the set with a kill.
 
The third set was again closely contested with the teams tied at 18-18.  Two kills by Wallick coupled with an attack error by EIU gave UTM a three point edge.  The Panthers would cut the gap to 23-22 after a Skyhawks attack error and kill by Hannah Sieg.   The Skyhawks won the match on an EIU service error, one of eight on the afternoon for the Panthers.
 
Hieb led EIU with 13 kills with Michael adding nine.  Collins and Emily Wilcox both had seven kills.  Wilcox added two block assists.  Bailey Chandler and Ashley Sharkus registered ten digs each as EIU had 65 in the match.
 
Wallick hit .464 on the day as the lone Skyhawks player with double figure kills.  Scanlon added nine kills while hitting .318.  Four UTM players had double figure digs led by Baillie Kearns with 16.