Season Ends for Volleyball in AAC Tournament

KINGSPORT, Tenn.- For the first time in five years, the volleyball team played in the conference tournament. The team qualified for the WinWon Appalachian Athletic Conference Volleyball Championship Tournament as the No. 10 seed. In the match against the No. 7 seeded University of Pikeville Lady Bears, TWU fell 3-0.

TWU opened the first set trading points with Pikeville, highlighted by kills from Olivia Miller and Janie Merritt. Alley Hibdon's precise sets created scoring opportunities, and Amya Sutton added a key kill to tie the score at 6-6. Shante Smith's strong presence at the net and Jia Weathersby's timely blocks helped TWU stay within striking distance. However, Pikeville capitalized on key errors to pull away and secure the set 25-15.

The second set was a tightly contested affair, with TWU showing grit and improvement. Early kills by Hunter Ford and Smith gave the Bulldogs momentum, while Hibdon delivered an impressive service ace. TWU built a narrow lead at 14-13 with contributions from Olivia Bolin's sets and Merritt's attacks. Pikeville surged late, but TWU responded with a run to bring the set to 24-23 before narrowly falling 25-23.

TWU fought valiantly in the final set. A balanced attack led by Hibdon, Merritt, and Ford kept the Bulldogs in contention. Ford delivered multiple kills, and Smith's aggressive play at the net helped TWU rally to tie the set at 16-16. Late kills by Merritt and a crucial block from Weathersby brought TWU within one point at 22-23, but Pikeville managed to close out the match 25-22.

Ford led the offense with seven kills while Hibdon and Smith both had six kills. Hibdon aided the offense with 24 assists while Megan Thompson had a team-high 18 digs. 

The team ends the season with a 10-22 overall record and a 7-14 AAC record. The team's ten overall wins and seven conference wins are the most since the 2020 season and the first double-digit win season since 2018.