Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Tennessee Tech
Volleyball falls to Tennessee Tech in Four Sets
10/10/2008 5:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The Racers (6-11, 3-4 Ohio Valley Conference) saw four players record double-digits in the kills column, including a team-high 14 by sophomore Becca Lamb. Sophomores Ashley Nenninger and Sara Hayden, and freshman Logan Su all contributed 10. Lamb also added four blocks, while Hayden netted a career-high five blocks, and Nenninger recorded a .389 hitting percentage for MSU.
The Racers came out strong in the first set and earned a victory in the opening set for just the third time this season. The teams were close until, with the score tied at four, MSU pulled away with a 4-0 run. The Racers pushed further ahead with a 3-0 run to go up 12-7. The Golden Eagles (9-9, 6-2 OVC) did not let up though and pulled within one (14-13) with a 7-2 run of their own. Tennessee Tech then took a quick 18-17 advantage with a 3-0 run, before MSU responded with a 6-1 run to regain the lead for good (24-20). The Golden Eagles tried to mount a come-back, but fell short and the Racers took the 25-22 win.
“We came out strong and had a lot more intensity in the first set,” head coach David Schwepker said. “But then we lost it all in the second set.”
The second set saw Tennessee Tech jump out to an early 4-2 advantage. The Golden Eagles kept the lead the rest of the set and pushed their advantage to 12-4 on a 7-0 run. The run included six-straight points from Leah Meffert. MSU tried to respond with a 6-3 run, but Tennessee Tech extended its lead to as many as eight (18-10). The Racers managed to get within four points (21-17), but the Golden Eagles headed into the break with the match tied at one set apiece.
It looked like the 10-minute intermission was going to turn the tide for MSU as it jumped out to an early 7-3 advantage in the third set. The Racers capitalized on six Tennessee Tech errors in the first 13 points to earn an 8-5 lead. The Golden Eagles then quickly recovered with an 8-1 run to regain the lead (13-9). It was then MSU's turn to be plagued by errors as Tennessee Tech pushed its lead to seven (19-12) with a 5-0 run. The Golden Eagles kept pushing and earned the 25-19 win.
The final set started out in favor of Tennessee Tech, with an early 7-3 lead. The Racers then started to battle and started to slowly chip away at the deficit. MSU earned a 16-15 lead with a 7-3 run that started with the scoreboard reading 12-9 in favor of the Golden Eagles. The Racers held on to the lead until Tennessee Tech went on an 8-3 run, down 17-18, to earn the 25-21 win and the match victory.
MSU knew heading into the match that Meffert was the key offensive threat for the Golden Eagles, but the team was unable to contain her as she recorded 23 kills, a .419 hitting percentage and five total blocks.
The key areas that hurt the Racers in the match were hitting percentage and blocking, the two areas that Tennessee Tech had been trailing its opponents this season. MSU was out-hit .252 (62k-22e-59ta) to .193 (53k-25e-145ta) and out-blocked 12-7.
“We had a lot of bad errors tonight,” said Schwepker. “In practice they are doing well, but when they are under pressure in a match they aren't performing like we need them to.”
The Racers will conclude their four-match road trip with a
stop in
Notes: Senior Heather Norris in now just seven digs away from claiming the No. 1 spot on the Murray State All-Time Digs list after her 11 against the Golden Eagles...freshman Jade Guo tallied her team-high eighth double-double of the season with 37 assists and 10 digs...MSU has two matches left before the first-half of the conference season is completed...the Racers face Jacksonville State Saturday and then host Southeast Missouri State, Friday, Oct. 17.
