The All State

Media Credit: Lois Jones Coach Hazelwood believes the Lady Govs took away plenty of experience at the Memphis Invitational this weekend. They will play their first Ohio Valley Conference game at Eastern Kentucky this friday at 6 p.m. [Click to enlarge]

The Austin Peay State University's volleyball team traveled to Memphis for the two-day Memphis Invitational last weekend with high hopes. The Lady Govs were 4-4, coming off an impressive win against Georgetown at the Kentucky Classic, and have been playing well together. However, they would be pitted against stiff competition into the likes of Memphis, Mississippi State and Arkansas-Little Rock.

Coming into the tournament, coach Jenny Hazelwood, was optimistic at their chance to play against teams of this caliber.

"When we play with confidence, no matter who we're playing against, we are a tough team to beat." Unfortunately for the Lady Govs they were swept by both Arkansas-Little Rock and Memphis the first day of the tournament.

It seems that errors were the downfall of the Lady Govs as they committed 26 in their first game against Arkansas which led to a meager .093 attack percentage, and defensively a record low 37 digs. They fared even worse against the hosting Memphis Tigers as the Lady Govs had 27 errors, a .052 attack percentage, and only 33 kills.

The Lady Govs did not have a break in the schedule as the next opponent was Mississippi State. They dropped the match 3-0 resulting from 19 errors and a .103 attack percentage. Dodi Szymska led the Lady Govs with 12 kills, while Kristen Kirch had her tournament best 18 digs.

Coach Hazelwood preached playing with confidence before the last game, and it certainly showed as the Lady Govs swept Nicholls State 3-0. Szymska again had 12 kills bringing her tournament total to 51, which landed her a spot on the all tournament team.

Although the Lady Govs dropped three out of their four games, coach Hazelwood felt like playing teams of this caliber would help boost their play right before the first conference games. She also liked some of the play from her freshmen Taylor Skinner and Maegan Quibb, who both posted 10 kills against Nicholls State.

Quibb has just recently returned to the court from an injury and started her first collegiate game against Nicholls.

"[Quibb] just brought unbelievable fire to the court. Every time she got a kill she would get so excited and it would help get everyone else excited".

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