Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Tennessee State
Volleyball Ends Season With OVC Tournament Loss
11/15/2007 6:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The Murray State volleyball team ended its season with a 3-0 loss to Tennessee State in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament, held in Jacksonville, Ala. Game scores were 30-26, 30-25, 30-21.
The Racers ended the 2007 season with an overall record of 16-15, finishing in fifth place in the OVC with a league record of 13-7. The 31 matches for MSU is the most in a single season since 1998, when the Racers played 31 matches. Murray State played 32 matches in the 1997 season.
In Game 1, Tennessee State (18-13) got out to a 12-9 lead before Murray State scored three straight points behind the serving of junior libero Heather Norris to tie the game at 12-12. The teams exchanged points, with MSU tying the game at 16-16 on a TSU service error, but the Lady Tigers scored six of the next seven points to vault out to a 22-17 lead. Tennessee State got to game point at 29-23, but the Racers hung in there, scoring on a TSU serving error, a kill from freshman outside hitter Becca Lamb and a kill from senior middle hitter Tara DeMage before the Lady Tigers won the game on a kill by Kelly Davis, taking the first game 30-26.
In the second game, Murray State pushed out to a 9-4 lead, scoring seven straight points behind the serving of junior outside hitter Alison Mugler. Tennessee State closed to within 13-12, and a kill by Mugler made it 14-12 before the Lady Tigers ran off five straight points behind the serving of Melissa Silva to go ahead 17-14. The Racers kept pace, but were unable to catch the Lady Tigers, falling in Game 2 30-25.
In Game 3, Tennessee State got out to a 13-6, but the Racers scored four of the next five points to narrow the gap to 14-10. TSU got out to a 16-10 lead before Murray State launched a comeback, scoring six of the next seven points behind sophomore setter Cassie Chesney and Norris to close to within 17-16. MSU got to within 21-20 on a kill by junior outside hitter Alyssa Groves, but the Lady Tigers scored the next seven points behind the service of Candace Saleaumua to push out to a 28-20 lead en route to the 30-21 win in Game 3, taking the match three games to none.
"We just couldn't get things going," said MSU head coach David Schwepker, closing his 10th season at Murray State, the most of any Racer volleyball coach. "We tried hard, but give Tennessee State credit. They played great; they played really well, and they deserved to win."
Mugler led Murray State with 13 kills, while Lamb had 11. Chesney handed out 37 assists, while Mugler and Norris each had an ace. On defense, Norris repelled a team-high 22 digs, while DeMage had 20, Mugler had 16 and Groves had 11. DeMage had three blocks for MSU, while Groves and Lamb had two apiece.
Tennessee State was led by Christian Lowe's 14 kills. Collese Dornan added 13 kills, hitting .448 with no errors in 29 attacks, while Davis had 13 kills, hitting .270 with three errors in 37 attacks. Endia Oliver had 11 kills, hitting ,409 with two errors in 22 attacks. Saleaumua handed out 47 assists for TSU.
On defense, Saleaumua had 25 digs, while Lowe had 21, Silva had 14 and Kamille King had 10. Oliver had seven blocks, while Dornan and owe had three blocks each.
