JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Looking to extend its six-match win streak, East Tennessee State University's volleyball team faces Furman Friday and Saturday at Brooks Gymnasium.
East Tennessee State (8-12, 6-3 SoCon) took commanding wins over Wofford last weekend, who, until facing the Buccaneers, had been undefeated in Southern Conference play.
Melanie Morris earned the SoCon's Defensive Player of the Week honors for her performance against the Terriers. The senior started and played in all nine sets for the Buccaneers' two wins over Wofford. She had 40 total digs, 20 in each win over the Terriers, for an average of 4.44 per set. Morris also picked up three aces and six assists on the weekend.
Makayla Bays started and played in all nine sets for the Buccaneers' two wins over Wofford. She totaled 30 kills in the wins and had a high of 18 in the Friday win. She averaged 3.33 kills per set and hit .216 over the weekend. She hit .318 in Friday's victory. Bays contributed 35.0 points for the Bucs, averaging 3.89 per set. She picked up 22.0 points in the Friday match and had four service aces on the weekend. Bays also totaled four assists and two blocks.
Alex Kreutzmann started and played in all nine sets for the Buccaneers' two wins over Wofford. She had a total of 46 assists for an average of 5.11 per set. Kreutzmann had a weekend high of 27 assists in Friday's victory. Kreutzmann also had 13 digs and a service ace on the weekend.
Furman (9-11, 3-6 SoCon) enters the weekend after two losses to Mercer. Izzy Castello leads the team with 272 kills on the season as Kennedy Seekford paces the team with 20 service aces and 330 digs.
This marks the 76th all-time meeting of the Buccaneers and the Paladins, with the Bucs leading the series 38-37. The last matchup was a 3-2 Furman win on Nov. 8, 2025, in Greenville, S.C.
For news and updates on the Buccaneers' 2026 season, follow the volleyball team on X and Instagram (@etsuvolleyball) or check back in on
etsubucs.com.
Match Points
- Lindsey Devine is in her 19th season at the helm of ETSU volleyball; her third consecutive season.
- Devine earned her fourth regular-season title last season; the eighth in program history.
- The 2026 squad consists of 11 returners, five freshmen, and one transfer.
- The reigning SoCon Player of the Year, Makayla Bays, was selected as a Preseason All-Conference selection after her standout sophomore campaign.
- Bays leads the team with 252 kills and 29 service aces. Alex Kreutzmann leads with 398 assists. Melanie Morris paces the squad with 267 digs as Gianna Blair leads with 81 blocks.
- The Bucs are second in the SoCon with 962 team assists and third with 1,020 team kills. Their .205 hitting percentage ranks fourth.
- Gianna Blair is third in the conference with 1.04 blocks per set and 81 total blocks. Makayla Bays is third with 29 service aces, eighth with 3.07 kills per set, 290.0 points per set, 252 kills, and ninth with 713 total attacks. Melanie Morris ranks seventh with 267 total digs, and Karis Chatfield ranks 11th with 2.88 kills per set.
Scouting report
- The Paladins are first in the SoCon with 188.0 team blocks and .179 in opponent hitting percentage. Their 15.88 digs per set and 2.32 blocks per set rank second.
- Kacie Moore is second in the conference with a .331 percentage and fourth with .98 blocks per set and 79 blocks. Izzy Castello is fifth with 272 kills and 310.0 points, sixth with 3.36 kills per set, seventh with 770 total attacks, and eighth with 9.51 attacks per set. Kennedy Seekford is fourth with 4.07 digs per set and 330 digs.
