FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 3, Belmont 1 (20-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-15)
Murray State 3, @Eastern Illinois 0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-21)
Tennessee State 3, @Eastern Kentucky 1 (25-22, 27-25, 22-25, 27-25)
Austin Peay 3, @SIUE 1 (25-19, 20-25, 25-23, 25-18)
MOREHEAD STATE 3, BELMONT 1
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Opening conference play on its home floor, Morehead State volleyball improved to 7-0 at Johnson Arena, defeating Belmont in four sets. The Eagles (10-3, 1-0 OVC) dropped the first set 20-25 to the Bruins (1-15, 0-1) before reeling off three straight set victories (25-21, 25-16, and 25-15) for the victory.
Morehead State put forth a balanced scoring attack Friday evening, recording 60 kills, seven total blocks, and six service aces. The Eagles also recorded 60 digs, limiting Belmont to a .127 hitting percentage in the match.
Three hitters recorded double-figure kill totals, combining for 43 of Morehead State's 60 kills. Junior Lauren Rokey paced the Eagles with a match-high 18 kills while fellow junior outside hitter Olivia Lohmeier added 13 terminations and sophomore middle blocker Hannah Keating added 12 kills. Rounding out the box score was sophomore middle blocker Mia Swearingen (seven), freshman setter Bridget Bessler (five), and freshman outside hitter Abby Hulsman (five).
Adding to her five kills, Bessler ran the offense, dishing out a match-best 49 assists, tallying 12.25 assists per set. Morehead State would add 10 additional assists, totaling 59 team assists on 60 total kills as the team hit .248 on the evening.
Defensively, Morehead State's back row featured a trio of players who dug up 10 or more balls apiece. Sophomore defensive specialist Olivia Montelisciani paced the group with a match-high 16 digs while sophomore libero Allison Whitten chipped in 13 and redshirt sophomore defensive specialist Taylor Hodges added 11. Nearly reaching double-digit digs was redshirt senior Danielle McCarson who totaled nine digs.
At the net, the Eagles tallied 14 block assists, totaling seven team blocks. Swearingen led the group with six total blocks while redshirt junior right-side hitter Liz Allen added three. Bessler chipped in two blocks while Keating, Lohmeier, and Rokey each added one.
In service, Whitten landed three aces to pace Morehead State. Bessler collected two aces while Lohmeier and McCarson chipped in one apiece as the Eagles totaled six service aces in the match.
Halee Van Poppel led the Bruins with 14 kills while Lauren Walsh had a team-high 13 digs. Akia Warrior dished out 31 assists in the match.
MURRAY STATE 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois fell to Murray State in straight-sets (19-25, 15-25, 21-25) in the Ohio Valley Conference opening match for both teams. With the loss, EIU drops to 1-12 and 0-1 in the OVC. The Panthers will return to Lantz Arena on Saturday (Sept. 28) at noon to face Austin Peay.
It was back and forth throughout the first set until Murray State went on a 4-0 run late in the first set. The Panthers tried to counter back but they were unsuccessful and fell to the Racers by six point.
The Racers jumped out front scoring the first two points in the second set before a Danielle Allen kill put the Panthers on the board. The Panthers kept it close until the Racers went on a 8-0 run to take a commanding lead of EIU. After that it was all Racers the rest of the set.
It was even throughout the first set until the middle of set when the Racers had a serves error and Laurel Bailey had a pair of kills to put the Panthers up by three. The Racers came back strong to take the lead and take the set 25-21.
Murray State's Rachel Giustino recorded a double-double with a team-high 13 kills and 10 digs. Emily Matson had 10 digs in the win. Ashley McBee also notched a double-double with 35 assists and 10 digs. Becca Fernandez led the team with 19 digs.
Ireland Hieb, Laurel Bailey and Katie Sommer led the Panthers in kills with six each. Bailey Chandler led the team in assists with 22 and Maggie Runge and Bailey each had three blocks. The Racers were led by Rachel Giustino with 13 kills. Ashley McBee led the team in assists with 25 and Katriah Johnson led the Racers in blocks with three.
TENNESSEE STATE 3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 1
RICHMOND, Ky. - Tennessee State is now 1-0 in conference play due to winning it's match against Eastern Kentucky 3-1 (25-22, 27-25, 22-25, 27-25).
Julia Pierson led the Tiger's offense with 17 kills. Kristian Marshall and Sofia Garcia-Guerrios tied for 17 assists a piece. Aria Holmes added four blocks to her record. Gina Rivera-Ortiz led Big Blue with 26 digs.
Eastern Kentucky freshman Abby Noll posted a double-double with her match-high 19 kills and 11 digs. Kaylin Johnson posted 11 kills of her own. Rachel Woody posted a match-high 31 assists.
SET ONE
A good volley between the two teams started off the set with kills from Pierson and Jasmine Fuqua. A kill for Pierson and one from Kariely Santana-Delgado gave the Tigers a five-point lead. Two attack errors on TSU gave Eastern Kentucky a way back into the set.
But, Pierson squashed that attempt with a kill to keep the Tiger's lead. EKU tried to stay in the set but Tennessee State proved strong with kills from Aniya Williams and Pierson. An attack error on the Colonels gave TSU the set, 25-22.
SET TWO
The set started out with a kill from Khalia Jordan but EKU fired back with it's own. Kaylin Johnson and Jordan went back and forth with kills over the net. Eastern Kentucky took the lead with two errors on the Tigers. But TSU tied it up with a kill from Pierson.
EKU took the lead once again, Williams tried to keep Big Blue in the set with her third kill of the match. Two kills from Holmes pulled TSU on top. Eastern Kentucky fought back with another kill from Johnson. An attack error on Fuqua tied the set up. After a Tennessee State timeout, Jordan with a kill gave TSU set point. But a bad set on Pierson tied the set 24-24. EKU did not go down without a fight but the Tigers stayed strong and won the match, 27-25.
SET THREE
An ace for Garcia-Guerrios started the match off for TSU. Kills for Fuqua, Jordan, Pierson and Holmes kept TSU in the match. EKU's Adria Hartley with her second kill of the match kept Eastern Kentucky on the board. Tennessee State stayed on top with errors made by the Colonels. A bad set on Amiyah King gave EKU the lead. Kendall Bullock with a kill tied the set up for the Tigers. EKU took the lead with a kill and an attack error on Tennessee State. Kills for Pierson and Fuqua kept the Tigers in the set. Attack error on EKU gave Big Blue the lead. A kill from Rachel Woody gave Eastern Kentucky the lead back and another kill for EKU gave the Colonels the set, 25-22.
SET FOUR
Jordan with two kills gave an early lead to TSU. Two kills for EKU gave the Colonels a two-point advantage. Kills for Eastern Kentucky and an attack error on Tennessee State kept EKU ahead. Pierson with her 14th kill of the match tried to keep Big Blue in the set. A kill from Teuila Lolotai and an attack error on the Colonels kept the Tigers on the board. Santana-Delgado and Pierson kept TSU in the set with kills. An attack error on Tennessee State gave EKU set point. Jordan with two kills tied the set 24-24. Block assist for Fuqua and King gave TSU match point and an attack error on EKU gave Tennessee State the win, 27-25.
AUSTIN PEAY 3, SIUE 1
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Junior Chloe Stitt came off the bench to record 14 kills in the final two sets, leading Austin Peay State University's volleyball team to a Ohio Valley Conference-opening four-set win (25-19, 20-25, 25-23, 25-18) against SIUE, Friday night at the Vadalabene Center.
After Austin Peay (3-11, 1-0 OVC) saw a late second set rally turned aside, leveling the match, they turned to Stitt early in the third. She responded with an impressive performance in the third frame, recording 10 kills. Four of Stitt's kills came in the Govs 7-1 set-clinching run that gave them a 2-1 match lead.
Stitt kept Austin Peay's momentum going early in the fourth, knocking down a pair of kills in an opening 6-2 run. A later 5-0 Govs run included a Caroline Waite service ace and a Karli Graham kill as the lead expanded to eight points, 22-14. SIUE (5-8, 0-1) would fend off three match points late, but a service error ended the match.
Stitt's 14-kill outing saw her post a .571 attack percentage. Junior Brooke Moore and senior Jenna Panning each had 10 kills, Moore adding 17 digs for a double-double performance. Junior Caroline Waite nearly had a triple double, finishing with seven kills, 39 assists and 12 digs.
SIUE's Rachel McDonald led all hitters with 16 kills while posting a .342 attack percentage. Kiana Fields also had 10 kills and a .364 attack percentage.