Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) volleyball team closes out its 2023 campaign with a pair of Atlantic Sun Conference contests, Friday-Saturday, at the Winfield Dunn Center.
The Governors open the weekend with a Friday 4:00pm match against Central Arkansas. Austin Peay State University then wraps the season with a Saturday 6:00pm match against North Alabama.
Before Saturday’s match, the APSU Govs will recognize seniors Maggie Keenan and Morgan Rutledge, each playing their final matches in the red and white. Keenan enters the weekend with 280 career blocks, tied for the eighth most in program history. Rutledge recorded a career-best 201 digs this season while also spending time as the team’s libero.
Graduate outside hitter Mikayla Powell continues making her case for All-ASUN honors, leading the APSU Govs with 331 kills while averaging 3.60 per set. She ranks second in the ASUN in kills per set, third in kills, and second in points scored.
Powell has been supported in the latter stages of the season by a group of underclassmen. Freshman Anna Rita has become a force in the middle, entering the weekend leading the team with 45 blocks (1.05 per set) and scoring 45 kills (1.05 per set) in ASUN action.
Sophomore Jamie Seward has 58 kills (1.71 per set) while hitting .212 in ASUN action. In addition, sophomore Sarah Carnathan has provided 58 kills (1.81 per set) during ASUN play.
Through The Rotation
Mikayla Powell was the first ASUN hitter to record 200 kills this season but surrendered the ASUN lead in kills two weeks ago as she continued to battle an injury suffered following the Eastern Kentucky match. Her 331 total kills are fourth-most, while she remains second in the league with her 3.63 kills per set.
Kelsey Mead shouldered most of the load at setter this season and enters this weekend with 724 assists, eighth-most in the ASUN. In ASUN play, teams have keyed their attack at her and she’s held her own, leading the APSU Govs with 109 digs (2.32 per set) in league action.
Freshman setter Maggie Duyos shared setting responsibilities with Mead during the season’s opening week, but an injury forced her out of the lineup. She returned to her original role at Stetson on October 14th and has 82 assists (3.90 per set) since her return.
Middle blockers Karli Graham, Maggie Keenan, and Anna Rita have recorded more than 60 blocks this season. Grahman leads the trio with 69 blocks (0.78 per set), Keenan is close behind with 68 blocks (0.77 per set), while Rita’s ASUN-leading charge (see above) has pushed her to 61 blocks (0.97 per set).
Middle blocker Karli Graham has been impressive in ASUN play with 66 kills (1.40 per set) and a .331 attack percentage that is seventh in the league. She also ranks seventh in the league with 42 blocks (0.89 per set) blocks per set.
Sophomore right-side hitter Jamie Seward made the most of October, recording her season-best nine kills thrice. She finished the month with 48 kills (2.00 per set) and a .288 attack percentage.
In her first start since September 8th, sophomore outside hitter Payton Deidesheimer set her career high with 17 kills at Stetson on October 14th. It was her second double-digit kill outing in 2023, joining a 14-kill performance against Florida A&M during the opening weekend.
Senior defensive specialist Morgan Rutledge has worn the libero jersey for each of the past eight matches, posting double-digit digs in each match. She has 98 digs (3.77 per set) in those eight matches.
