Murray State
Middle Tennessee State
Racers claim second tourney title with 3-0 shutout of MTSU; Wong MVP
9/20/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The Murray State women's volleyball team claimed its second tournament title of the season in as many tries with a 3-0 win over MTSU Invitational host Middle Tennessee State tonight, 30-26, 31-29, 35-33. The win was the sixth straight for the Racers (6-4).
Sophomore setter Nikki Wong was named the tournament MVP, averaging 2.56 kills, 11.33 assists, 0.44 aces, 2.78 digs and 1.00 block per game over the three-match tournament. Sophomore middle blocker Abbi Gui was also named to the all-tournament team, notching 3.40 kills, 1.60 digs and 0.60 blocks per game in the tournament and swatting an attack percentage of .469, best on the team.
Wong and Gui joined Karisse Baker and Andressa Lyra of MTSU (7-7) and Amber Mangrum of Appalachian State and Kali Landis of Western Illinois on the all-tournament team.
Against Middle Tennessee State, Murray State was led by Gui's match-high 21 kills. Sophomore outside hitter Paige Sun added 16 kills and a team-high 13 digs. Freshman outside hitter Lilli Zhan added 11 digs for the Racers, while Gui and Wong had 10. Sun and Wong had a team-high five blocks each, while Gui had four and Zhan had three. Wong handed out a match-high 42 assists.
The Lady Raiders were paced by 18 kills from KeKe Deckard, while Baker added 16. Victoria Monasterolo had a match-high 17 digs, while Deckard had 11 and Lyra had 10. LaToya Brown had a match-high eight blocks, while Lyra had six. Dara McLean served up a match-high five aces for MTSU.
Murray State won nine of its 10 games in the tournament, blanking MTSU and Appalachian State, while claiming a 3-1 win over Western Illinois.
Sun was Murray State's biggest hitter with 3.90 kills per game in the tournament. She also led the Racers with 0.70 aces per game and 3.90 digs per game. Junior outside hitter Kimberly Bunnage had 3.30 kills per game in the tournament and was second on the team this weekend with 3.00 digs per game.
Murray State (1-0 OVC) returns to its Ohio Valley Conference schedule this weekend with a trip through Death Valley, taking on Morehead State (7-6, 0-0 OVC) on Friday at 6 p.m. CT and Eastern Kentucky (8-5, 0-0 OVC) on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT.
