Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Southeast Missouri State
Racers Drop Defensive Five-Set Thriller at Southeast Missouri State
10/28/2008 5:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
After a weekend off, the
Freshman Kayleah Sauer led the Racers (10-12, 7-5 Ohio Valley Conference) with a career-high 42 digs and was one of four players to tally double-digits in the digs column for MSU. Freshman Logan Su was the key on the offensive side with a career-high 25 kills and a .308 (25k-5e-65ta). Fellow freshman and
The Racers started the first set out slowly, after SEMO started a 5-0 run with the score tied at two apiece to take a 7-2 lead. The Redhawks (10-11, 8-5 OVC) kept pushing and expanded their lead out to 10 points (17-7). The teams then traded the next five serves before the Racers cut the advantage to seven with a 3-0 run (19-12). MSU kept battling through the remainder of the set, but the lead was too large and SEMO took the first set 25-18.
The Redhawks jumped out to an early 4-2 advantage in the second set before the Racers tied it at four and took a 7-5 lead with a 5-1 run. MSU held onto the advantage until SEMO tied the set at 13. The Racers then took control for good with a 3-0 run. The Redhawks made a push and got within one point (16-15), but freshman Jade Guo then rattled off two-straight service aces to help MSU to a five-point advantage (20-15). SEMO again made a late push and got within three (21-18), but the Racers took control and used a 4-1 run to earn the 25-19 victory.
MSU earned the first point in the third set, but the Redhawks then went on a 5-0 run to take the early advantage. The Racers quickly recovered with a 6-2 run of their own to tie the set at seven. With the score knotted at eight MSU went on a 3-0 run to earn an 11-8 lead. SEMO then battled back and tied the set at 13 with a 5-2 run. The teams then see-sawed for control and forced ties over the next 16 points before the Racers went on a 4-1 run with the score tangled at 21 to earn the 25-22 victory. The run was sparked by a kill from Su and included a block solo for sophomore Ashley Nenninger.
The struggle for control of the scoreboard continued in the fourth set with several long rallies and key defensive plays on both sides of the net in the opening six points. The Racers took control first with a 3-0 run with the score reading 2-2. SEMO responded with a 2-0 to pull within one point before Nenninger threaded a triple block to give MSU a 6-4 lead.
The defensive battle then continued and the Redhawks slowly came back to tie the set at eight and earn a three-point lead (11-8) with a 7-2 run. The Racers kept the score within three points before with SEMO leading 14-11 MSU started a 5-2 run to tie the set at 16. With the score tied at 17 SEMO started a 3-0 run to regain the advantage (20-17). The teams again traded the next nine serves, before MSU started a 5-0 run with the scoreboard reading 24-20 to force extra points. The Redhawks then forced the deciding set with a kill from Amanda Rickhoff to claim the 28-26 win.
Senior Heather Norris started the fifth set with a strong serve that forced SEMO out of rotation and allowed sophomore Becca Lamb to land a kill in the back right corner of the court. The Redhawks quickly tied the set at two and took a 4-2 lead with a 4-0 run. MSU regrouped and went on a 2-0 run to tie the set at four. SEMO then earned the two-point advantage and did not allow the Racers to get closer than one point before the side switch.
The Redhawks pushed the lead to three (9-6) before the teams again battled for the advantage. With SEMO leading by four, 12-8, the Racers started a come-back and got within two points, 13-11. The Redhawks earned the next point before MSU held off three match-points to force extra points with a 3-0 run. The Redhawks earned the 17-15 victory with kills from Rickhoff and Claire Keaton.
The Racers tallied 96 digs and a team season-high 76 kills in the match, to SEMO's 97 digs and 73 kills. The teams were evenly matched in all categories, with key errors being the difference in the match.
Four members of the MSU roster finished the day with double-digit kill performances. Besides Su, Lamb added 15, sophomore Sara Hayden netted 12, and Nenninger garnered 10.
The Racers will return to Racer Arena for two matches this weekend. MSU will take on Tennessee State Halloween night at 7 p.m. and then host Austin Peay, Saturday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m.
Notes: MSU has only two road matches left in regular season...the Racers travel to
