Murray State University Athletics
Racers Set to Host Skyhawks in Mid-Week Match
10/20/2008 5:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The Match
The Murray State volleyball team will face UT Martin in the lone match of the week for the Racers (9-11, 6-4 OVC), Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. in Racer Arena. MSU is currently in fourth place in the conference standings, with the Skyhawks tied for fifth, with their 5-5 mark in the OVC.
About UT Martin
The Skyhawks enter Tuesday's contest on a two-match winning streak that improved their record to 7-16 overall and 5-5 in OVC action. However, the road has not been kind to UT Martin, as they are 1-9 when playing in their opponents gym.
Taylor Noland is the team's leading offensive threat with 245 kills on 690 total attempts. Noland and Breanne Carey (630 total attempts) get set more than 200 more times than the next hitter on the team, Britany Wilburn. Noland has a .207 hitting percentage on the season, while Carey has only a .092.
Wilburn is the team's leading hitter with a .264 attack percentage. She also accounts for 60 of the Skyhawks 133 blocks on the season.
Jennifer Roberts and Carey are at the top of the digs list for UT Martin, with 293 and 288, respectively.
The Skyhawks trail their opponents in all statistical categories, with the largest difference coming in attack percentage (.160 to .226) and kills per set (8.9 to 11.1). The areas where UT Martin is closest to its opponents are digs (12.3 to 13.0) and blocks (1.2 to 1.4)
Against the Skyhawks
In the Racers first conference match of the 2008 campaign, UT Martin earned a 3-1 win in Martin, Tenn.
MSU was led by freshman Becca Lamb. Su tallied a team-high 11 kills, while Lamb added 10 kills and four blocks. Defensively senior Alison Mugler and freshman Kayleah Sauer each garnered 14 digs.
Noland and Ashley Doherty each garnered 13 kills for the Skyhawks, while Wilburn tallied seven blocks and Cary added 17 digs.
UT Martin earned the victory by out-blocking the Racers (9-6) and had an advantage at the service line with seven aces to MSU's four.
The Series
The Racers currently own a 28-17 advantage in the all-time series, including victories in the last five matches contested in Racer Arena. MSU holds a 16-5 advantage in the series when playing in Murray.
Guo Garnering Honors
Freshman Heather Norris recorded her 1,995th career dig, moving her into the No. 1 spot on MSU's all-time digs list. The libero broke the 1990 record set by Kim Koehler of 1,994 digs.
Her accomplishment also moved Norris into the No. 4 spot on the OVC standings in the same category. Norris now has 2,009 digs and needs 73 more to pass Morehead State's Cherelle Lampkins mark of 2,082 set in 2003.
The new record is noteworthy because Koehler's numbers came when teams played more matches and had more opportunities to increase their numbers because there was no rally scoring.
Applauding Alison
In Friday's match at Austin Peay, senior Alison Mugler became the eighth member of MSU's 1,000 Kill Club and just the sixth Racer to earn membership in both the 1,000 Kill and 1,000 Dig Clubs.
The Maumee, Ohio, native tallied her 1,000th kill during the fourth set to break a 4-4 tie and put MSU ahead for good in the set.
The outside hitter was the first MSU player since Krista Shumard to record 1,000 kills. Shumard earned her membership in both clubs during the 1999 campaign.
Mugler is now seventh on the all-time kills list with 1,032 and needs 12 to pass Jessica Wood (1,044) in the No. 6 position.
Closing in on a Milestone
The Racer players are not the only people on the team working on career milestones. Earlier this year head coach David Schwepker recorded his 150th career victory (Sep. 23 at Eastern Illinois). Schwepker is now just three conference wins from recording his 100th OVC win.
Swinging to Eliminate Cancer
While most volleyball teams in the nation are coming together to help raise awareness and funds to help eliminate breast cancer the MSU volleyball team has decided to help a different cause that affects the team on a more personal level.
This November the Racers will start Swinging to Eliminate Cancer to help raise funds for the National Brain Tumor Society. Kendra Schwepker, the wife of head volleyball coach David Schwepker, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2004. The Schwepker's received great support from the local community to help them with medical bills and with everyday chores while Kendra was first getting treatment and now they want to help others going through the same thing.
Mugler Moving Up the Lists
Senior Alison Mugler jumped up one more spot on the Racer's All-Time Dig List after a 21 dig performance against Southern Illinois. The Maumee, Ohio, native needed just 20 digs to claim the No. 5 spot from Jill McCoy (1,464) before the match. Mugler will now be aiming for Jill Doty's No. 4 position (1,599) and will need 49 to claim the spot.
Serving Up Success
Heather Norris is also approaching another milestone at MSU, her 100th service ace. The libero has recorded 92 aces so far in her career, including 16 so far in 2008. If the senior hits eight more on the year she will become just the sixth Racer player to tally 1,000 digs and 100 service aces.
Fellow senior Alison Mugler also has a chance to make the list, as she has 68 aces so far in her career. If she were to hit the mark she would be just the fourth MSU player to record 1,000 kills, 1,000 digs, and 100 service aces.
Quick Sets
Guo had a career-high .556 hitting percentage against Eastern Illinois...Logan Su tallied a career-best two service aces against the Panthers...MSU is now 2-0 when hitting above .300 as the team recorded .321 and .347 hitting percentages over the weekend... Lamb's .400 hitting percentage against Southeast Missouri State tied a career high set against Arkansas State, Aug. 31, 2007...Su had a career-high .483 attack percentage against the Redhawks...all but one of the Racer players recorded at least two digs against SEMO...MSU recorded three block solos to the Redhawks zero.
The Murray State volleyball team will face UT Martin in the lone match of the week for the Racers (9-11, 6-4 OVC), Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. in Racer Arena. MSU is currently in fourth place in the conference standings, with the Skyhawks tied for fifth, with their 5-5 mark in the OVC.
About UT Martin
The Skyhawks enter Tuesday's contest on a two-match winning streak that improved their record to 7-16 overall and 5-5 in OVC action. However, the road has not been kind to UT Martin, as they are 1-9 when playing in their opponents gym.
Taylor Noland is the team's leading offensive threat with 245 kills on 690 total attempts. Noland and Breanne Carey (630 total attempts) get set more than 200 more times than the next hitter on the team, Britany Wilburn. Noland has a .207 hitting percentage on the season, while Carey has only a .092.
Wilburn is the team's leading hitter with a .264 attack percentage. She also accounts for 60 of the Skyhawks 133 blocks on the season.
Jennifer Roberts and Carey are at the top of the digs list for UT Martin, with 293 and 288, respectively.
The Skyhawks trail their opponents in all statistical categories, with the largest difference coming in attack percentage (.160 to .226) and kills per set (8.9 to 11.1). The areas where UT Martin is closest to its opponents are digs (12.3 to 13.0) and blocks (1.2 to 1.4)
Against the Skyhawks
In the Racers first conference match of the 2008 campaign, UT Martin earned a 3-1 win in Martin, Tenn.
MSU was led by freshman Becca Lamb. Su tallied a team-high 11 kills, while Lamb added 10 kills and four blocks. Defensively senior Alison Mugler and freshman Kayleah Sauer each garnered 14 digs.
Noland and Ashley Doherty each garnered 13 kills for the Skyhawks, while Wilburn tallied seven blocks and Cary added 17 digs.
UT Martin earned the victory by out-blocking the Racers (9-6) and had an advantage at the service line with seven aces to MSU's four.
The Series
The Racers currently own a 28-17 advantage in the all-time series, including victories in the last five matches contested in Racer Arena. MSU holds a 16-5 advantage in the series when playing in Murray.
Guo Garnering Honors
Freshman Heather Norris recorded her 1,995th career dig, moving her into the No. 1 spot on MSU's all-time digs list. The libero broke the 1990 record set by Kim Koehler of 1,994 digs.
Her accomplishment also moved Norris into the No. 4 spot on the OVC standings in the same category. Norris now has 2,009 digs and needs 73 more to pass Morehead State's Cherelle Lampkins mark of 2,082 set in 2003.
The new record is noteworthy because Koehler's numbers came when teams played more matches and had more opportunities to increase their numbers because there was no rally scoring.
Applauding Alison
In Friday's match at Austin Peay, senior Alison Mugler became the eighth member of MSU's 1,000 Kill Club and just the sixth Racer to earn membership in both the 1,000 Kill and 1,000 Dig Clubs.
The Maumee, Ohio, native tallied her 1,000th kill during the fourth set to break a 4-4 tie and put MSU ahead for good in the set.
The outside hitter was the first MSU player since Krista Shumard to record 1,000 kills. Shumard earned her membership in both clubs during the 1999 campaign.
Mugler is now seventh on the all-time kills list with 1,032 and needs 12 to pass Jessica Wood (1,044) in the No. 6 position.
Closing in on a Milestone
The Racer players are not the only people on the team working on career milestones. Earlier this year head coach David Schwepker recorded his 150th career victory (Sep. 23 at Eastern Illinois). Schwepker is now just three conference wins from recording his 100th OVC win.
Swinging to Eliminate Cancer
While most volleyball teams in the nation are coming together to help raise awareness and funds to help eliminate breast cancer the MSU volleyball team has decided to help a different cause that affects the team on a more personal level.
This November the Racers will start Swinging to Eliminate Cancer to help raise funds for the National Brain Tumor Society. Kendra Schwepker, the wife of head volleyball coach David Schwepker, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2004. The Schwepker's received great support from the local community to help them with medical bills and with everyday chores while Kendra was first getting treatment and now they want to help others going through the same thing.
Mugler Moving Up the Lists
Senior Alison Mugler jumped up one more spot on the Racer's All-Time Dig List after a 21 dig performance against Southern Illinois. The Maumee, Ohio, native needed just 20 digs to claim the No. 5 spot from Jill McCoy (1,464) before the match. Mugler will now be aiming for Jill Doty's No. 4 position (1,599) and will need 49 to claim the spot.
Serving Up Success
Heather Norris is also approaching another milestone at MSU, her 100th service ace. The libero has recorded 92 aces so far in her career, including 16 so far in 2008. If the senior hits eight more on the year she will become just the sixth Racer player to tally 1,000 digs and 100 service aces.
Fellow senior Alison Mugler also has a chance to make the list, as she has 68 aces so far in her career. If she were to hit the mark she would be just the fourth MSU player to record 1,000 kills, 1,000 digs, and 100 service aces.
Quick Sets
Guo had a career-high .556 hitting percentage against Eastern Illinois...Logan Su tallied a career-best two service aces against the Panthers...MSU is now 2-0 when hitting above .300 as the team recorded .321 and .347 hitting percentages over the weekend... Lamb's .400 hitting percentage against Southeast Missouri State tied a career high set against Arkansas State, Aug. 31, 2007...Su had a career-high .483 attack percentage against the Redhawks...all but one of the Racer players recorded at least two digs against SEMO...MSU recorded three block solos to the Redhawks zero.
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