Cookeville, Tenn. — The Green Bay Phoenix volleyball squad began the second weekend of its 2026 campaign with a mixed result at the Golden Eagle Invitational hosted by Tennessee Tech. After a dominant 3-0 win over Tennessee State on Friday afternoon, the Phoenix were edged out 3-2 by the host Golden Eagles on Friday night.

Day 1: A strong start

Green Bay took control early in the first set, pulling ahead 5-4 and never looking back, closing the set 25-14. The momentum continued in the second set with a 25-18 win, never trailing by more than five points. A third set sweep (25-13) completed the 3-0 shutout, giving the Phoenix a 75-45 point advantage overall.

Key contributors included Gillian Koning (11 kills, .348 hitting percentage) and Diane Pichelman (10 kills, .438 hitting percentage). Macy Kline led the defense with 13 digs, while Alexa Hernandez supplied a match‑high 35 assists.

Setback against Tennessee Tech

In the evening match, the Phoenix dropped a tight first set 25-23 and a close second set 26-24, falling behind two sets to none. Green Bay rallied in the third set, winning 25-19, and followed with a convincing 25-17 victory in the fourth, tying the match at two sets each.

The decisive fifth set was a nail‑biter, with Tennessee Tech pulling ahead 15-13 to seal the win. Birmingham posted a double‑double with 15 kills and 16 digs, while Pichelman added 14 kills and three aces. Kline recorded a career‑high 23 digs, and Hernandez delivered a career‑high 51 assists.

Looking ahead

Coach Abbey Sutherland praised her team’s resilience, noting, “Division I volleyball is a grind, and we don’t have time to feel sorry for ourselves. We’ll keep learning and believing in what we’re building.” The Phoenix will finish the weekend with a match against Austin Peay on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. CT.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.