Murray State University Athletics
Racers enter first-ever NCAA Tourney ranked among the nation's best
12/3/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
As the Murray State women's volleyball team prepares to leave for its first-ever NCAA Championship Tournament appearance, the Racers find themselves ranked among the top seven among NCAA Division I teams in three categories and among the top 18 in four.
Murray State (18-11) ranks fourth in the nation with 16.06 assists per game and fifth in kills per game at 17.36. The Racers rank seventh in attack percentage at .296 and 18th in digs per game at 18.31.
By comparison, Louisville -- who, along with Notre Dame and NCAA first-round host Illinois makes up the field of four with Murray State this weekend -- ranks eighth in attack percentage, 11th in assists per game and 18th in kills per game. Notre Dame leads the nation in blocks per game, with Illinois ranking 30th in that category.
Around the OVC, Jacksonville State is seventh in service aces per game, while in digs per game, Morehead State is sixth and Austin Peay is eighth.
Murray State earned the Ohio Valley Conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Championship by winning its third conference tournament title. As the tournament's No. 6 seed, the Racers shut out No. 3 Southeast Missouri, No. 2 Jacksonville State and No. 1 seed Morehead State to earn the crown.
Notre Dame (23-6) will face Louisville (24-5) in the first match on Friday at 5 p.m. in Champaign, Ill. MSU will face host and national No. 15 seed Illinois (24-6) at 7 p.m. The winners of the matches will face off on Saturday at 7 p.m., with the winner of that match advancing to the regionals in Hawai'i on Dec. 12-13.
