Tag Archives: Ohio Valley Conference

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TSU student-athlete to graduate with 4.0 GPA, along with two degrees and an OVC championship

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – For three years, Gina Rivera-Ortiz’s parents would drive two hours to get her to volleyball practice, in her native territory of Puerto Rico. Dedication that has paid off in the long run with Rivera-Ortiz’s becoming a decorated libero, a back-row defensive specialist, for Tennessee State University volleyball team. Add to her accomplishment an Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) championship and OVC tournament MVP in 2022 for the TSU Tigers.

Last season, Rivera-Ortiz became the all-time career leader in TSU history in digs.

Not only has Rivera-Ortiz, a TSU graduate student, put blood, sweat and tears on the court, she has put her all into her education as well.

“Since pre-kindergarten I’ve never passed a class with anything less than an A,” she said. “My parents raised me to want to be the best. I use my parents as motivation. I know they sacrificed for me to be who I am today.”

Rivera-Ortiz will be graduating this week with a master’s of arts and education in sports administration with a 4.0 GPA. She also had a 4.0 while attending TSU as an undergraduate.

For Rivera-Ortiz, volleyball is like a game of chess on a court, where every move counts. She told the university her main key factors on strategizing how to succeed in being a student athlete.

“Time management, discipline, and passion,” Rivera-Ortiz said. “Everything I do, I do it with passion. Be humble but use that drive of thinking you’re the best and working to be the best.”

Rivera-Ortiz, left, with Coach Sutton, right during a home conference match in Kean Hall at TSU.

TSU head volleyball coach Donika Sutton couldn’t agree more about Rivera-Ortiz’s work ethic as an athlete and person.

“Gina has realistically surpassed expectations,” Sutton said. “We are talking about someone who all five years has had a 4.0 GPA.”

Coach Sutton said she recruited Rivera-Ortiz from Lajas, Puerto Rico, and offered her a scholarship in 2018. Since that time, Sutton has watched her continuously grow every year.

“She helped me lead this team. The ability, the work ethic and her leadership were a huge part as to why this team was successful this year.”

Rivera-Ortiz after the TSU volleyball team won the OVC Tournament championship in 2022.

The TSU volleyball team won the OVC Tournament last November for the first time in 15 years. Out of the 132 games, Rivera-Ortiz never missed one. The international student said she is most grateful for TSU’s welcoming environment, that helped her succeed while being 1,700 miles away from home.  

“This was a place that made me feel the most wanted. That’s one of the things that kept me here.”

Rivera-Ortiz has already accepted a job offer at local non-profit organization Backfield in Motion, as a senior youth coordinator. The job aligns with her dream career related to community engagement for the NBA.

While Rivera-Ortiz was a part of the Puerto Rico women’s national under-23 volleyball team last year, she looks forward to one day competing for a spot on the Olympic volleyball team after obtaining a doctorates degree in psychology.

Check out the Puerto Rico native’s stats and recent accolades as the all-time OVC leader in career digs and in TSU history.

Athletics, EVENTS, FEATURED, NEWS

Tigerbelles Claim Fourth OVC Outdoor Championship

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (TSU Sports Information) – The Tigerbelles took to the track for the final event of the 2015 Ohio Valley Conference Championships needing a victory and a little help to claim the team title for the first time since 2008. The Tennessee State women’s track program has been historically known for its sprinters and most importantly, the relay teams.

Amber Hughes, Diera Taylor, Christian Pryor and Kayla Pryor continued the tradition as they teamed up for the 4×400 relay and crossed the line first in a time of 3:44.96. The fourth outdoor championship was captured for TSU as Austin Peay finished two seconds ahead of Eastern Illinois, who entered the final event 2.5 points ahead of the Tigerbelles.

“I am so excited right now,” said head coach Chandra Cheeseborough-Guice. “These young ladies stepped up and got it done. We are down in numbers, but the numbers we had showed out against the larger squads. I am so proud to be a Tigerbelle.”

TigerbellesTennessee State finished 128.5 points and was followed by Eastern Illinois with 127, Austin Peay at 119 and defending champions Southeast Missouri with 105.5.

Cheeseborough was named Women’s Coach of the Year as she collected her eighth title, four outdoor and four indoor, as the head of the Tigerbelles.

The two-day event had many delays due to lightning and heavy rains. Despite the delays, TSU still managed to claim seven events and 23 scoring finishes.

Hughes led the way as she claimed four top finishes and broke a 29-year old record. The sophomore broke the tape in 13.27 in the 100-meter hurdles to erase a OVC Championship mark which had been around since 1986.

Hughes also claimed the top spot in the 200-meter dash (23.66) and the triple jump (12.90m/42-04.00). The Atlanta, Ga., product was also a member of the 4×100 relay team that placed third.

Clairwin Dameus won the heptathlon for the second consecutive year as she amassed 5,396 points. The total was three points shy of her OVC record of 5,399 set in 2014.

Dameus continued her busy weekend as she finished second in the long jump with a leap of 6.16m (20-02.50) and placed sixth in the 400-meter hurdles (1:04.35). The junior was also a member of the third place 4×100 team.

Freshman Kayla Pryor and sophomore I’mani Davis recorded the final two individual championships for the Tigerbelles. Pryor claimed the title in the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 1:00.18, while Davis won the high jump as she cleared the bar in her second attempt at 1.73m (5-08.00).

Davis, a member of the Lady Tigers basketball team, became the first athlete in TSU history to be a part of OVC championships teams in two separate sports. The Tulsa, Okla. native is a two-year starter with the Lady Tigers and just completed her first season with the Tigerbelles.

The Flying Tigers finished sixth on the men’s side with 34 points. TSU had eight scoring finishes led by Quamel Prince. The sophomore broke a record in the 800-meter run that was set in 1976. Prince finished in 1:48.41, besting the previous record by 0.63 seconds. The would-be record-setting run was spoiled by Ephraim Dorsey of Eastern Illinois who out-leaned Prince by .26 seconds to claim the honors.

Prince joined forces with Jason Griffin, Jakeenan Guthrie and Theodore Nicholson to finish in 3:18.84, good for fourth, in the 4×400 meter relay.

 

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 45 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

Athletics, EVENTS, FEATURED, NEWS

TSU Travels to Kentucky for NCAA Opening Round March 20

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Tennessee State Sports Information) – The Tennessee State women’s basketball team earned a No. 15 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament and will travel to Lexington, Kentucky, to play the No. 2 seeded University of Kentucky on Friday, Mar. 20 at 1:30 p.m. CT.

The Lady Tigers heard the news at an on-campus selection show party held for the team on Monday night, March 16. Up to that point, they had secured a spot in the “Big Dance” by virtue of earning the Ohio Valley Conference’s automatic-berth, but the seeding, opponent and location were unknown.

Tennessee State will play in a postseason game for the first time in 20 years. The Lady Tigers are 0-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, having lost their two appearances to Southern Mississippi and Oregon State.

TSU is 18-12 on the year and has won 10 straight contests dating back to a Feb. 5 victory over Eastern Kentucky.

The Lady Tigers fell to Kentucky earlier this season on Dec. 28, 87-75. TSU led by eight five minutes into that contest.

Friday’s contest will be broadcasted on ESPN2.

Tickets

Single-session tickets for the 2015 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds to be held in historic Memorial Coliseum on March 20 and March 22 are now on sale.

No. 15 seeded Tennessee State will face host University of Kentucky (No. 2) Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. ET in the Albany Regional.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.ukathletics.com/tickets, in person at the Joe Craft Center Ticket Office or by calling the UK Ticket Office at 800-928-2287.

Single-session reserved tickets are $22 for adults (ages 19-64), $15 for youth (ages 0-18) and for seniors (ages 65+).

Single-session group rate is $10 for groups of 10 or more people (bleacher side seating only). Contact the UK Ticket Office if interested in-group seating.

Every person, regardless of age, must have a ticket to enter the facility.

All-session ticket prices are $36 for adults (ages 19-64) and $24 for youth (0-18) and seniors (65+). All-session tickets are valid for two games on Friday and one game on Sunday. Fans may not leave the Coliseum and re-enter between games on Friday. Fans are encouraged to purchase all-session tickets to secure the best possible seats.

Single session tickets will go on sale beginning at 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday morning.

All seating at Memorial Coliseum is reserved. Chairback seats are located on the west side (Sections A-J and AA-JJ). Bleacher seats are located on the east side (Sections R-Z and RR-ZZ). All seats in rows 3-6 are chairbacks.

Individuals requiring special access (e.g., individuals who are disabled and/or need special seating) should contact the UK Ticket Office during regular business hours, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. Tickets will be administered in accordance with ADA guidelines, based on availability.

Tickets will not be refunded, exchanged or returned. For more information on the NCAA Tournament First and Second Rounds go to: http://www.ukathletics.com/ncaawbb/index.html.

 

 

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 42 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

Athletics, FEATURED, NEWS

Lady Tigers Crowned OVC Champions

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  (Tennessee State Sports Information) – It took overtime, but the Tennessee State women’s basketball team was crowned Ohio Valley Conference Champions following a 64-60, win over No. 1 seeded UT Martin on Saturday.

With the win, TSU is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995.

Head Coach Larry Joe Inman
Head Coach Larry Joe Inman

“I have had some great games as a coach, but none of them are any better than this one,” Head Coach Larry Joe Inman said. “Our team struggled through a lot of hard times, but we overcame and didn’t back off.”

Brianna Lawrence led TSU with 22 points, 18 of which came after halftime. Her performance earned her OVC Tournament MVP honors following the game. Rachel Allen (13 points) and Chelsea Hudson (eight points) joined Lawrence on the All-OVC Tournament Team.

UTM’s Ashia Jones, who came into the game averaging 34.5 points per game in the OVC Tournament, was held to 23 on 6-of-18 shooting (33.3 percent).

“We did an awesome job on defense inside. We had Jones isolated one-on-one for most of the game, but our help defense was always there to lend a hand,” Inman said.

Jones was UTM’s only offensive weapon early in the game and she was ineffective at best. The Lady Tigers limited her to three points through the first 10 minutes and they did it with only one defender guarding her.

Meanwhile, TSU spread to ball around on offense to get both its shooters and post players open looks. The sharing tactic led to a pair of early threes from I’mani Davis and Allen and a commanding 19-7, lead through the first quarter of action.

“I thought we seized momentum early in the game, and that shows you the mentality that we had, we weren’t backing down,” Inman said. “We took the initiative and then we took control.”

The Skyhawks slowly crept back into the game and it started with Jones canning a pair of jump shots. Defensively, UTM forced TSU to keep the ball on one side of the court by bracketing the other. The strategy forced six Lady Tiger turnovers and a Tennessee State scoring drought of 4:37.

With the score, 23-21, UTM’s Danielle Woolfolk canned a wide-open three pointer to give the Skyhawks’ their first lead of the game. Allen made sure that it was short-lived as on the next possession, she converted on a driving layup with 1:32 to play in the half.

Hudson continued the charge with an old-fashioned three-point play to end the first half and the Lady Tigers took a 28-26 lead into the locker room.

Lawrence poured in a pair of threes to highlight the start of the second period, but TSU fouls eventually proved costly. The Skyhawks entered the double-bonus with 8:47 to play and went up 45-41.

The Lady Tigers figured out UTM’s 1-3-1 zone later in the half and a slashing Davis layup made it five straight makes to tie the game at 49 with 5:29 to go.

Lawrence made back-to-back shots for TSU, but UTM countered with four free throws to leave the score tied with 53 seconds to play. Allen stole the ball from Jones to give the Lady Tigers one shot for the win, but Davis travelled on TSU’s possession.

UTM had a final shot at the buzzer but UTM’s shot didn’t beat the horn, forcing overtime.

Lawrence got TSU off to a good start in extra time with a jumper in the lane and an Allen three-pointer with two minutes left gave the Lady Tigers a 58-57 advantage.

Again, Lawrence proved why she was named MVP by hitting her third triple of the game to pad the lead to an insurmountable four points.

The Lady Tigers find out where and who they will play in the NCAA Tournament on Monday, March 16.

“We don’t care who we play in the NCAA Tournament, whoever it is, let’s line them up and play it… who’s next?”

 

 

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 42 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.